c/o Steve McLaughlin

The golf team looks forward to a successful spring campaign as they head back to the green. The squad is led by captain Zach Lambros B.A. ’17 M.A. ’18, who posted some successful rounds in the fall and include an eighteenth overall finish at the Detrick Invitational hosted by Trinity in September; a respectable 78 in the final round of the Duke Nelson Invitational; and a leading two-day total among competing Cardinals at 165 in the Williams Fall Invitational. In the NESCAC qualifier, Lambros finished twenty-first. The lefty consistently led the team in all tournaments and will be one to look out for as the team starts its spring season.

“I’m excited to get out on the course and really make the most of my last spring season with the team,” Lambros said. “I’d like to be down in the 74-75 range to finish out the tournaments… it’s really just a matter of connecting the dots and pulling it all together on the course. If I trust my game I know I can get there, it’s just going to take some hard work and effort. It’s been a fun ride and I just wanna go out on a high note so I can tell my grandkids something positive.”

In addition to his personal success, Lambros is looking forward to the team dynamic of his final season.

“I think we have a really tight core group of players who are really close,” he said. “We’ve been playing together for the past few years and have spent a lot of time together, both on the course and also traveling and in hotels. So naturally we’re pretty tight and we feel comfortable with each other, which is really important for playing in the Little Three. But we also have such a small team that sometimes we have to take new people to the Little Three, and that’s always interesting because you have to try and find some team chemistry in such a short timespan, which can be tough.”

After a rocky fall, Lambros hopes the team can move upward in play and in the Wesleyan record books.

“Our goal of the spring is always to win the Little Three and re-establish Wesleyan as the preeminent golf program in Division III central Connecticut. We are clearly the toughest team mentally, and all it takes is one good day to start a dynasty for the ages. I’ve been telling people to dip their pens…cause WesGolf is about to write history!”

Another key contributor to the team has been senior Andrew Rachlin. Rachlin has been a jack of all trades for the Wesleyan athletic program. A former member of the crew team, and now a member of the golf team, Rachlin has certainly shown athletic versatility. Rachlin tied for fifty-first in the Detrick Invitational in September by shooting an eighty-one on day one, followed by an eighty-nine on day two. Rachlin followed up that steady performance with an eighty-eight on day one and a ninety-two in the final round in the Williams Fall Invitational. Overall, Rachlin has proved a steady anchor for the team. As a senior, his job is to not only perform on the course but also become a leader outside of it.

Senior Brian Gerner has also provided a spark for the golf squad. Gerner shot a solid eighty-five on day one of the Duke Nelson Invitational. He followed that up with another strong round, shooting an eighty-one on day two. In the NESCAC qualifier, Gerner tied for forty-fourth.

The Cards are led by Jeff Gilarde, who is in his fourteenth season as coach. Coach Gilarde has had a few successful campaigns as the coach of the squad, and looks to follow up the fall with a strong performance in the spring.

The Cardinals will open up their season on Saturday, Apr. 21 at the Williams Spring Invitational. This event is filled with NESCAC foes such as Amherst, Trinity, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Middlebury, and Williams. Last year, Williams dominated the tournament. As one of only two spring tournaments, the Cards will look to improve from their 7th place finish last year.

Lambros, Rachlin, and Gerner will have to lead the charge if the squad wants to defeat its dominant opponents. The Cardinals will conclude their spring season just a few days later on April 25 with the Little Three Championship. If the Cards want to have bragging rights over Williams and Amherst, they must put together their best scorecards. We’ll see how the season plays out.

Andrew Martin can be reached at akmartin@wesleyan.edu.