Bauhinia Chen '27
May 9, 2025
On Monday, April 28, boys golf competed in the Swing Against Cancer tournament hosted by Peddie School, finishing sixth overall.
Head Coach Doug Smith said, “It’s an event for cancer research, and I want them to take away that you’re doing something for the good of society. Golf is both competitive and for a better cause.”
Cameron Gierasch ’26 added, “My grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer three weeks ago. It meant a lot to me to go out there knowing that I was bringing awareness to an illness that has taken away so much from many people, and to know that I can do that playing the game I love the most.”
On a similar note, Stewart Allan ‘27 said, “It means a lot to me because my grandmother had cancer. She is in full remission right now, and it felt good to go out there and to do something for [fighting cancer] myself.”
The team prepared for the long 18-hole format by building experience and prowess through earlier matches. Gierasch said, “We had a lot of 18-hole games…. before that, we had a lot of matches against Hill and a couple of other local schools in Virginia, too.”
Allen added, “I think just having a competitive match schedule and, on top of that, the fact that we had two weeks off was good for me to refresh, feel great, and come back to do the best I can.”
Smith said, “In this match, several guys played to their talent level. We did well. We were competitive. It wasn’t our best golf play, but it was good.”
Miles New ’27 was the leading scorer for the team with a 79. He said, “I prepared for the match beforehand by studying the course map. I have played there before, but I knew this time there would be greater competition with more players this year... I ended up playing pretty well.”
Jackson McLear ’28 said, “I played alright... I just thought about the hole I was in and stayed in the moment, going shot by shot.”
The match was not without obstacles. Allan said, “It was weird because [the course] was moved out two days because of rain. It was also 18 holes but in a scramble format, so I had no idea who would be in my group. I had to get used to playing around with new people.”
New said, “I came off to a slow start, struggling with the first few holes, but gradually made up for it later into the match.”
“I struggled a lot with ball striking, but my putting was really good. I didn’t end up doing great,” said Gierasch.
With many graduating seniors last year, the current golf team is left with mostly young and fresh faces, contributing to a different yet cohesive dynamic. Gierasch said, “This term, I think we’ve had the best chemistry we’ve ever had. And being a part of the team right now, I feel like it’s been more like a family than any other team I’ve been part of... We’re very young. We’re not a great team, but we’re building. We have a lot of potential.”
New added, “As one of the returners, I am glad that I get to take care of newer teammates and serve as a role model.”
Allan added, "[Our team chemistry] is slightly immature, but we get along well in that sense. It’s a good environment.”