As spring sports begin, the Crusader men’s golf team looks to maintain their throne and win back to back state championships. Jesuit currently has a total of 10 state championships, which is tied with Medford and Lake Oswego for the most state championship wins in Oregon history.
Last year, the state championship was held at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks with
many tight scores and close results. Drew Woolworth of Lake Oswego won the individual state championship shooting 7 under par in two rounds. Mason Zimmerman, a graduated senior, tied for third and led all Jesuit players shooting 2 over par. However Jesuit put up some great numbers and won the team state championship shooting a total of 595 strokes, leading all schools with 19 over par.
Coach Matthew Schulte is heading into his second year as the head coach, and after coming off a successful first season, his focus isn’t on winning, but improving.
“Our focus isn’t really about winning the state championship. That’s a goal we obviously want to achieve, but right now it’s about getting better every single day, working on getting one element of the game improved and moving on to the next,” Schulte said.
After losing a few key seniors last year, including Evan Post, Mason Zimmerman, Grady Brown, and Jameson Gonzalez, coach Schulte is going to rely on many young players filling in the top 5 spots on Varsity. Every week, the bottom 3 spots will be flip flopped depending on the scores for each Varsity contender.
“It's a lot of unknowns this season. For sure, we lost a ton of players last year and we have a lot of young guys ready to step up this year, and I hope they do. It’s really up to them and how much they want it.” Schulte said.
The top two spots will be given to returning seniors Jack Harrington and Joseph Ulrich. Both Harrington and Ulrich are two talented players, and will be called to be leaders and mentors to the younger, less experienced, golfers.
“I expect Jack and Joseph to be our leaders. After that, it’s pretty open. There’s not a single player after Jack and Joseph who played Varsity and no other seniors. However, I know there’s a lot of great players on the team, and I’m very excited to see them step up to that moment,” Schulte said.
Jack Harrington, being one of the best junior amateur golfers in the region, is locked in and ready to compete in his senior season. Harrington is committed to play D1 golf at the University of Michigan and aims to make a significant mark before launching his professional career.
“Yeah, a state title is always the goal. I also want to get comfortable being a distinct leader on a contending team. I know that my golf is really hard to beat, so the more days I can come out with confidence, knowing I put the work in to give myself the best shot at a good day, the better.” Harrington said.
Mentally, Harrington also feels that this season will move smoothly for him, putting stress and pressure to the side.
“For me, nothing ever changes mentally. Don’t get too caught up on one hole, stick to the approach I have to attack the golf course, and not be afraid to work on the parts of my game that I know need work. As a senior, I also just want to enjoy my last year playing high school golf because it’s been a great experience for me,” Harrington said.
Will Burke, a sophomore competing for a spot on Varsity, is coming off a decent freshmen year playing for JV. Burke is very optimistic about playing this year, and is confident that he will play well with the environment around him.
“Coming in as a sophomore, not having an amazing year last year, I’m just excited and ready to play. I love to compete and get out there, play with some good players and learn from them. After playing for JV last year, I feel like I’m ready to fill in the shoes of some of those great players we had last year. I’m also looking forward to contributing and hopefully help us win that chip,” Burke said.
