Sports
Andrew Boys Golf Team Eager to Swing Into New Season
Head coach Wally Zukowski is encouraged by the dedication of his T-Bolts during this summer's team-only match play.
With just a few weeks left before the start of the high school golf season, Andrew boys golf coach Wally Zukowski says his team has finished the preseason strong and the players are excited for match play to begin.
In his second year as head coach of the T-Bolts, Zukowski instituted a summer schedule that allowed the team to play in weekly matches at Deer Creek Golf Course in University Park. Along with the letting the golfers familiarize themselves with a course they’ll play regularly during the season, Zukowski hopes the extra repetitions will allow the team members to strengthen their fundamentals and address any weaknesses in their game.
Junior Jeremy Bilecki won the preseason finale at Deer Creek, shooting a 41 over the nine holes played. Bilecki edged senior Anthony Martz in a playoff after the two were tied after nine.
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“Today was one of the best putting days I’ve ever had,” Bilecki said. “I think I putted a total of 14 times on the course today.”
Signing on to be head coach just before the start of last season, Zukowski wasn’t able to put together a summer tournament for his team in his inaugural year. But the T-Bolts still performed well during the season, finishing second on their side of the conference and qualifying a golfer for sectional play.
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This year Zukowski has been pleased with the strong work ethic shown by the 15 players the T-Bolts regularly bring to Deer Creek. He specifically praised the determination of one of his returning seniors.
“Anthony Martz was one of the guys that contributed to the team a little bit as a junior, but from what I can see in his game right now, he’s worked extremely hard to improve from last fall. It’s paid dividends,” Zukowski beamed. “Martz’s play (this summer) speaks very well of how hard and determined he is to improve his game so he can contribute to this year’s team.”
Martz, who finished in a tie for first over the seven-week league play, has noticed a positive energy and strong desire to succeed from his teammates.
"Everyone on the team has confidence right now,” Martz said. “We've got a lot of guys going out (to play) in preparation for the season. It seems like everyone has worked really hard this summer and played a lot of golf.”
The T-Bolts will begin their season on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
