Golf Takes Road Victory over Deerfield
Big Red golf posted an exciting win over Deerfield Academy this Saturday, securing the match with a score of 6.5 to 3.5. The match marked the first time Exeter has beaten Deerfield in seven years. The players will now start off the season with high hopes and an encouraging 1-0 record.
According to captain and senior Paul Lei, Deerfield has always historically been one of the “best teams in New England.” While the group of players understood the match would be a challenge, the team came into it with a strong sense of confidence stemming from the recent success of their players in individual competitions.
“We’re optimistic for the tournaments to come,” he said. “The team had a lot of fun finally getting out on the course and playing with each other in competition. I think all of us have a lot of room to grow and get better over the season and I’m excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.”
During the off-season, Lei was announced as one of 12 boys across the country named as an HP Scholastic Junior All-American. Like Lei, Upper Steven DiLisio was also honored with a notable title, placing 1st out of 42 players in the New England Junior Invitational. Lower Charlie Dubiel also placed top 5 during two large international competitions.
However, when arriving on the course, the team faced immediate challenges. Rain and melting snow had recently plagued Deerfield, creating muddy, wet and tough conditions for hitting golf balls. The match was also the first opportunity for the team to play on an actual course – at Exeter the team has been practicing inside the gym due to snowy conditions.
While the conditions were unfavorable, Choi believes the team’s early commitment in the season to work out allowed their bodies “to adapt quickly to the course.” A few players faced a fairly rough start, but the team remained confident and concentrated. By the end every player finished with a score below 90, an impressive feat for the first match of the season.
“We were all very determined, we wanted to win,” Choi said. “Although it was our first experiences on the course in a few months, with a couple of new additions to the golf team, we knew that we had a pretty solid chance of finally beating Deerfield.”
Indeed, the teams new additions turned out to be an important ingredient to their success. Prep Daulet Tuleubayev shot a score of 71, the lowest score of the match from both sides, despite it being his first high school competition.
After strong performances from both the new and returning players, Choi has high hopes for the upcoming season and even anticipates the possibility of going “undefeated.” While the team consists of a large group of new kids, he believes the team chemistry will rise this year as well as the team’s skills.
DiLisio agreed with Choi. From the beginning he has noticed a special sense of talent on the team and the recent win only developed it further. “We’re optimistic for the tournaments to come,” he said. “The team had a lot of fun finally getting out on the course and playing with each other in competition. I think all of us have a lot of room to grow and get better over the season and I’m excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.”
Exeter golf travels to Loomis Chaffee School this Saturday, looking to stay undefeated, to play Tabor Academy and Loomis.