Expectations high as ever for Lee-Scott Academy golf team
With spring in full swing, Lee-Scott Academy’s golf season is preparing to kick into high gear. As a state golfing powerhouse who won six straight AISA titles between 2015 and 2020, expectations are always high for the Warriors.
2023 is no different.
According to head coach Charlie Richardson, who took over the program in 2021 after Todd Thompson stepped down, his main responsibility is to continue the rich tradition set by Thompson.
“We’re just trying to compete and let the kids have fun. Obviously we want to win the state championship, but the main goal with him was let them have fun and have a rewarding season,” Richardson said. “My job is to facilitate their goals, which is what we're trying to do: get them to win state.”
To do that, Richardson said the team routinely practices to get out of their comfort zone by pairing them with teammates they typically may not practice with. With that discomfort comes growth.
As one of the top golfers on the team, Christine Chang, a junior who is currently committed to Columbia University, embraces those expectations and discomfort. Having already been named to the AISA all-tournament team as a freshman, she has no choice but to.
“I just love to win, and just being able to prove to myself that I can get better every year. I just like that feeling and I just like seeing progress,” Chang said. “Every time I come out here and I'm like, 'I don't want to practice today,' I just try to remind myself that I've done it every year, so I know I can get better. So I just go put in the work. And now we'll get the results.”
Cam Arwood, a sophomore who also plays noseguard on the Warriors’ football team, has extra incentive to deliver continued success to Lee-Scott in golf. His older brother was a member of a few of the championship-winning teams of the 2010s along with now-professional golfers Davis Thompson and Turk Pettit.
“I feel like me and Christine and rest of the top five, I mean we have a good chance of just dominating the field. My opinion. But my goal is just to win state,” Arwood said when asked about his priorities this season. “I want to get two rings this year, two trophies under my belt: football and golf. It's my number one thing.”
Their pursuit of the crown will not be easy. The Warriors have endured an extended layoff after their first tournament in which they placed second behind foes Glenwood Academy. Yet despite that, the rest of the season and all their goals still remain ahead of them.
— By Daniel Schmidt