After a disappointing third place finish in the Colonial League Championship last year, the Southern Lehigh golf team came out swinging this season.
With a team led by returning juniors – Frank Boensch, David Burmeister, Talan Canzano, Matthew Mantz, Colin Sarnoski, and David Tervalon – expectations were sky-high for the starting eight. The Spartans crushed these expectations, finishing the regular season with a record of 14-0, their first undefeated season since 2018.
“This is one of the best teams I’ve coached,” head coach Mr. Matthew Greenwald said. “[It’s] one of the best teams we’ve had in quite some time.”
The team has backed this praise with outstanding accomplishments throughout the season, including a first-place finish in both the District and Colonial League Championships.
Boensch led the team to their second ever PIAA District XI Championship win, qualifying himself for a state finals spot in the process. In the Colonial League Championship, Sarnoski led the charge, earning himself the title of Colonial League Individual Champion.
“A lot of it is mental,” Sarnoski said. “When you’re out there you have to stay focused. You’re out there playing for four hours; it’s really a mental grind. I worked on my mental game a lot during the offseason.”
Although golf is often labeled a “solo sport,” Sarnoski views his teammates as an important part of his success.
“Over the summer when I’m playing, it’s always individually. So it’s really nice to come back in the fall to my team,” Sarnoski said. “I’m not just playing for myself, I’m playing for my teammates. We’re always rooting for each other.”
Coach Greenawald contributes much of the team’s success this season to players expanding their roles on the team.
“The difference now is that some of our younger players who contributed last season are now a year older and a year better,” Coach Greenawald said. “David Burmeister, who last year was really just a practice player and a role player, has come on incredibly strong this season. He’s been one of our top few players all season long.”
While the team strives to succeed on the course, they also stress the importance of succeeding as individuals.
“What I love is that they’ve not only been very successful on the course this season, they’ve been great people off it as well,” Coach Greenawald said. “They do a great job focusing in practice, getting along with each other, and being good teammates to each other. It really makes it a joy to be around the team on a daily basis.”
After finishing with such strong results this year, the team hopes to continue their domination next season.
“Next year, we can do the same thing,” Sarnoski said. “Pretty much everyone’s coming back, so we can definitely do it again. It’ll be really exciting to see how far we can go.”
