When you think of high school sports, golf is often not the first thing that comes to mind. Basketball and volleyball typically steal the show, but golf is just as much an exciting and underlooked sport.
Many people don’t acknowledge how hardworking golf players are.
Senior Jackson Pieratt said, “Our team is a group of athletes that work hard and are very diligent with their practice and mindset to grow and develop”.
This year’s golf team works very well together and encourages each other in many ways.
Boys Golf Coach Josh Wozniki said, “We have two brothers, Jackson and Fischer Pieratt, who push each other to do better, but they all do. They’ve all been friends for a long time, and they push each other to improve and hold each other accountable”.
The team went above and beyond this year, and pushed each other to make accomplishments.
Junior Fischer Pieratt said, “We exceeded our goal of making state, even though we didn’t do as best as we could, but we did really well though.”
Although golf is an individual sport, the team still motivates each other to perform to their best ability.
“There is a lot of chemistry within our team, because of past things we’ve known each other for a while,” said Junior Chase Simpson.
This is recognizable through their hard work and effort,
Wozniki said, “We made it to state for the first time in 11 years as a team, first time for me as a coach that the team made it to state, we’ve had individuals but not the team.”
It is clear that this year’s boys golf team is special and dedicated, contributing to their great amounts of success for the season.
Although only having been a sport at Slope for a little over a year, Girls Golf is a very successful and underrated sport, and the team has dominated so far.
Our Girl’s Golf team has 7 very dedicated athletes with extreme talent.
Senior Kelsey Koy said, “Our team is very closely knit. We are a group of hard-working and striving individuals that get along great. We all love hanging out while golfing”.
This year, Junior Caroline Gibson was the first girl at Slope to ever make it to the State tournament.
Gibson said, “At first I didn’t make state, and then the AIA extended their season, and then things switched around and I did make state, which I’m very thankful for.”
Gibson was part of the reason that the team was created in the first place, and her dedication and passion show through her accomplishments.
Coach Jens Erie said, “Caroline was the one who sparked this whole thing by trying out for the boy’s team her freshman year, and she was brave enough to go and try out with all the boys.”
After this, the realization that many girls have an interest in golf was brought to light, and the team was created.
The team has experienced girls who are also welcoming and encouraging to new members.
“This was my first season, so it was really fun, and the girls find a way to help each other improve and work together,” said Junior Lauryn Bishop.
The Girl’s golf team already has an impressive reputation, and clearly, this will continue with the next seasons in years to come.
Sunnyslope is widely known for having success in many sports, such as volleyball and basketball.
However, what many people don’t know is how accomplished the badminton team truly is.
This year, the athletes of our badminton team were state runner-ups after trying to go for a state champion two-peat.
Coach Sarah Schlesinger feels strongly about this year’s team and determination.
Schlesinger said, “They played so hard, and it felt good to be in that position because they put it all out there and did their best.”
The bond of the team contributes to their reputation throughout the years.
“We have a great group of girls, and I’ve made a lot of friends throughout badminton, and we have a great coach. It’s just a good team altogether because we always do a really good job in our season,” said Senior Eleni Economopoulous.
When asked about how they felt about this season, members of the team agreed about their feelings overall.
“I think it turned out really well, and we did a really good job, and I’m very proud of us because making it to the championship is an insane accomplishment,” said Economopoulous.
Because this is a huge achievement, the girls had each other to thank for being so encouraging.
“We’re motivated to help one another, and we want to see everyone do their best,” said Senior Annabelle Schlesinger.
The team will continue to set records and go above and beyond throughout the seasons in later years.