For varsity golf captain Harrison Stracks, playing the sport was in his DNA.
“I grew up in a golf family. My grandfather was the president of the Illinois Junior Golf Association, so I was never too far from a club when I was little,” said Stracks.
Harrison will continue playing his childhood passion in college at Division III Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Despite receiving offers from other schools like St. John’s and St. Olaf, the choice was a no-brainer for the physics major.
“It’s a great academic school that was at the top of my list, even if I couldn’t play golf. Once I got the offer to play there, it was the perfect fit for me,” Stracks explained.
Swarthmore was drawn not only to Stracks’ individual performance—he frequently finished at the top of tournament standings—but also to his leadership skills. Stracks led ETHS to a second-place finish at State, narrowly missing the title to Hinsdale Central due to a tie-breaking rule.
“I think I helped build a really strong team dynamic. We were all able to learn and improve together throughout the season,” commented Stracks, who also plays on the varsity baseball team.
Though he was not exactly new to golf when he started high school, Stracks credits his time at ETHS with transforming his raw talent into competitive skill.
“I am very grateful for the work that Coach Curtis and Coach Mel put in for me,” Stracks expressed.