After a season filled with strong performances and team camaraderie, the varsity golf team wrapped up their season on Oct. 18, finishing sixth at the state tournament. While the placement marked a step down from their first-place victory last year, players say the experience and memories made it one to remember.

“I had a great time,” said Owen Simmons, senior varsity player. “We ended up taking sixth in state, which isn’t as well as we normally do, but a lot of schools would kill to get sixth in state. It was fun to see my buddies from other schools, and to play against them, and we had an awesome team environment this year.”

The varsity golf team has experienced triumphs in the past few years, placing first in state last year and second in state the year before that.

“The team culture is very different depending on who you get in the bus with and how many there are going to be,” said Brady Ernst, senior varsity golfer. “Most of the time, it’s just a bunch of random jokes, and sometimes it’s just ‘brainrot’ or someone being an idiot, but it’s genuinely so enjoyable, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Part of what made the season enjoyable as well included how the players practiced and prepared for the tournaments. 

“[Practice is] usually an hour and a half,” said Thomas Plumpe, senior varsity player. “We’ll go the driving range, usually at Oak Brook, and we’ll split off on our own, do our own things, because we all have our own coaches. We work individually hitting balls, and then we’ll go and practice putting and chipping at the end.”

As for Simmons, meeting his personal goals was part of what he wanted to achieve this year. 

“My goal was pretty much to have as much fun as possible,” Simmons said. “I wanted to leave myself with a positive memory of high school golf, and I think I did that.”

Despite not reclaiming the state title, the golfers leave behind a season full of growth, laughter, and lasting memories — and the program’s strong foundation suggests many successful seasons to come.