Garfield Golf Season Recap
Cole Yagi
Coming into the beginning of the season, expectations were high for Garfield Golf. Both the men’s and women’s teams had made it to districts the year prior and were hoping to see an even stronger performance this season. Between seasons, several seniors had graduated: Jack Theiss, Jack Jassy, Mason Albert, Naya Linder, and Jordyn Lewis. Even without those key players, the teams were optimistic.
The start of the year was a little rough for both teams, with both losing to West Seattle: the girls team suffering an agonizing loss by just one point. Things quickly changed, as both teams won 5 matches in a row, only to have their streaks snapped by O’Dea/Holy Names. The boys eventually slowed down, ending the year with a (6-4) record. Their last match being a loss to Eastside Catholic. The girls fared slightly better, finishing (7-3). Both teams then turned their attention to the Metro League championships.
The boys Metros were hosted at the West Seattle golf course, a location familiar to the team. The 6-player metro roster included Zander Sheath, Jake Rogers, Jackson Schlemmer, Cole Yagi, Bryce Axtell, and James Lynch III. As individual start times were quite early, the earliest being 8:36 in the morning, many arrived to practice before the clock struck seven. As people started arriving at the first tee box, one issue became immediately clear: no one could see anything. Fog had set in throughout the morning, severely impairing player vision. As Bryce Axtell noted, “It was very hard to see the ball at the start.” In fact, it was so thick that the laser guided yardage finders used by most of the competitors were malfunctioning. Coaches from across the league went out as spotters, making sure everyone knew where their shots were going. Despite the rough conditions, play continued. As the day progressed, the sun shone through and cleared the last of the fog out. More than five hours later, the first groups began to make their way into the clubhouse to count their scores. As the scores started to be posted onto the board, Garfield Golf Coach Chris Englund knew it was going to be close. Only eight teams would advance to Districts, and it was quickly becoming clear that Garfield was fighting for that eighth spot. As the team waited in suspense, he was doing the math. Jake Rogers played phenomenally, shooting a 79! In a shocking turn of events, Garfield had defeated Eastside Catholic for the final qualifying placement.
The girls Metros were hosted at the only location more familiar than West Seattle: Jefferson Park. Being on their home course gave comfort to the team. What was not so comfortable was the weather. “It was pouring rain on the back nine and it was freezing cold” remembered Captain Seneca Jessee, “no one was used to weather like that.” In girls metros, 5 competitors were allowed per team, with individuals able to enter based on scoring average. The girls’ lineup included Jessee, Lucy Waggoner, Ruby Jefferson, Iris Too, and Nahlyan Orbeck, with Olivia Kang playing as an individual. For several of them, this was one of their first times playing a full 18-hole round of golf. In any case, they played fantastically, especially in such difficult conditions. Jessee played especially well, taking ten strokes fewer than her season average to boost her team to 7th place finish and a trip to districts in May. In addition, Olivia Kang played an impressive round to advance as an individual! “I’m so excited that the [whole] team made it to districts” Coach Englund commented.
For the boys' team, Districts might as well have been played on Mars; they were to be held all the way at Druids Glen Golf Club in Covington, a full hour away from Garfield. For days before the round, the members of the team were dreading the start times. They had not changed from Metros. One day before the round, the organizers moved Garfield’s start time to 9:30, much to the team’s relief. Even with the change, the start still felt early, and several arrived at Jefferson to practice before the doors opened for business. As there were only five players allowed to compete, Sheath, Rogers, Schlemmer, Yagi, and Axtell played. With rain in the forecast, everyone prepared for the worst. Surprisingly, it did not come. The team had a bit of a rough time overall and ended up in the same place as the year before. Sheath once again had a nice round, shooting an 80 to end the season. Right after the round, they went to Chick-fil-A as a celebration of the year.
On the boys' team, the most influential players were undoubtedly Zander Sheath and Jake Rogers. Captain Zander Sheath played exceptionally during the regular season, boasting an incredible 39.4 strokes per 9 holes on average! He led the team both on and away from the links. Jake Rogers made an enormous impact his freshman year, and this year was no different. He averaged 41.9 strokes and led the team in the Metro League Championship. On the girls' side, Lucy Waggoner made a significant impact on the course. She led the team with a 50.3 stroke average and was a key part in winning many matches.
Unfortunately, the team will lose many key players for the 2023-24 season. The graduating class this year includes Captain Zander Sheath, Captain Seneca Jessee, and Ruby Jefferson. They each made a great impact on and off the course and will be missed by the team. Though, with a strong core of underclassmen, both teams will look to become even stronger next year.
Overall, this was a great season for Garfield Golf. Garfield put forth one of the strongest teams in many years; the results speak for themselves. With Girls’ Districts coming in a few months, the team looks forward to cheering them on. With so many players planning on returning, the future looks bright!
The start of the year was a little rough for both teams, with both losing to West Seattle: the girls team suffering an agonizing loss by just one point. Things quickly changed, as both teams won 5 matches in a row, only to have their streaks snapped by O’Dea/Holy Names. The boys eventually slowed down, ending the year with a (6-4) record. Their last match being a loss to Eastside Catholic. The girls fared slightly better, finishing (7-3). Both teams then turned their attention to the Metro League championships.
The boys Metros were hosted at the West Seattle golf course, a location familiar to the team. The 6-player metro roster included Zander Sheath, Jake Rogers, Jackson Schlemmer, Cole Yagi, Bryce Axtell, and James Lynch III. As individual start times were quite early, the earliest being 8:36 in the morning, many arrived to practice before the clock struck seven. As people started arriving at the first tee box, one issue became immediately clear: no one could see anything. Fog had set in throughout the morning, severely impairing player vision. As Bryce Axtell noted, “It was very hard to see the ball at the start.” In fact, it was so thick that the laser guided yardage finders used by most of the competitors were malfunctioning. Coaches from across the league went out as spotters, making sure everyone knew where their shots were going. Despite the rough conditions, play continued. As the day progressed, the sun shone through and cleared the last of the fog out. More than five hours later, the first groups began to make their way into the clubhouse to count their scores. As the scores started to be posted onto the board, Garfield Golf Coach Chris Englund knew it was going to be close. Only eight teams would advance to Districts, and it was quickly becoming clear that Garfield was fighting for that eighth spot. As the team waited in suspense, he was doing the math. Jake Rogers played phenomenally, shooting a 79! In a shocking turn of events, Garfield had defeated Eastside Catholic for the final qualifying placement.
The girls Metros were hosted at the only location more familiar than West Seattle: Jefferson Park. Being on their home course gave comfort to the team. What was not so comfortable was the weather. “It was pouring rain on the back nine and it was freezing cold” remembered Captain Seneca Jessee, “no one was used to weather like that.” In girls metros, 5 competitors were allowed per team, with individuals able to enter based on scoring average. The girls’ lineup included Jessee, Lucy Waggoner, Ruby Jefferson, Iris Too, and Nahlyan Orbeck, with Olivia Kang playing as an individual. For several of them, this was one of their first times playing a full 18-hole round of golf. In any case, they played fantastically, especially in such difficult conditions. Jessee played especially well, taking ten strokes fewer than her season average to boost her team to 7th place finish and a trip to districts in May. In addition, Olivia Kang played an impressive round to advance as an individual! “I’m so excited that the [whole] team made it to districts” Coach Englund commented.
For the boys' team, Districts might as well have been played on Mars; they were to be held all the way at Druids Glen Golf Club in Covington, a full hour away from Garfield. For days before the round, the members of the team were dreading the start times. They had not changed from Metros. One day before the round, the organizers moved Garfield’s start time to 9:30, much to the team’s relief. Even with the change, the start still felt early, and several arrived at Jefferson to practice before the doors opened for business. As there were only five players allowed to compete, Sheath, Rogers, Schlemmer, Yagi, and Axtell played. With rain in the forecast, everyone prepared for the worst. Surprisingly, it did not come. The team had a bit of a rough time overall and ended up in the same place as the year before. Sheath once again had a nice round, shooting an 80 to end the season. Right after the round, they went to Chick-fil-A as a celebration of the year.
On the boys' team, the most influential players were undoubtedly Zander Sheath and Jake Rogers. Captain Zander Sheath played exceptionally during the regular season, boasting an incredible 39.4 strokes per 9 holes on average! He led the team both on and away from the links. Jake Rogers made an enormous impact his freshman year, and this year was no different. He averaged 41.9 strokes and led the team in the Metro League Championship. On the girls' side, Lucy Waggoner made a significant impact on the course. She led the team with a 50.3 stroke average and was a key part in winning many matches.
Unfortunately, the team will lose many key players for the 2023-24 season. The graduating class this year includes Captain Zander Sheath, Captain Seneca Jessee, and Ruby Jefferson. They each made a great impact on and off the course and will be missed by the team. Though, with a strong core of underclassmen, both teams will look to become even stronger next year.
Overall, this was a great season for Garfield Golf. Garfield put forth one of the strongest teams in many years; the results speak for themselves. With Girls’ Districts coming in a few months, the team looks forward to cheering them on. With so many players planning on returning, the future looks bright!