With a historic conference win and strong showing at the regional championships, the ETHS boys’ golf team is gearing up for the end of the season. The team won the Central Suburban Conference tournament two weeks ago for the first time since 1960. 

“The conditions were tough, and for us to all contribute and bring the team together to put up a score, I’m really proud of the way that we did that,” said sophomore Lester Low. Low shot a 74 and finished top five individually, along with his brother (Kieran Low) and Miles Gomberg. 

Then, this past Wednesday, Lester Low won the regional tournament for the second year in a row (The first time in school history), and led the team to a second overall finish behind New Trier. Low shot a 67, three below par, to capture the individual title. 

“I’m just going out there and doing my thing and trying my best to contribute to the team,” said Low. 

Even though the team did not play its best, it did more than enough to earn a spot in the Sectional on October 6th. 

Much of this success has come from the team’s ability to stick together and build a supportive environment, despite the individual nature of golf. 

“You can see [the team] throughout the round and, whenever we walk by each other, we help pick each other up, or [check in] if we’re not feeling good,” said junior Henry Schmidt. 

Schmidt’s round did not count for the team in the conference tournament, but he was a big help for the team in the regional. He shot 72 and tied for fifth place. 

Now, after a run of strong performances across the board, the team hopes to carry this momentum into the sectional tournament on the fifth at Highland Woods Golf Course in Hoffman Estates. Even with the high expectations after a strong state performance last year, the team is making sure to stay focused on the task at hand and is taking the journey one step at a time. 

As Low put it, “We’re approaching it like any other tournament. We’re just gonna go out there, do our thing, and then put up as good a score as we can. We’ve got to try to stay focused, be super intentional in everything that we do, and hopefully that will lead to good results.” 

The team has some experience playing the course, running a practice round there a few weeks ago. This should help them be prepared for the sectional tournament coming up.

“I want to put my best foot forward and see what I can do,” added Low. “It’s always important for us to make sure that we’re staying positive and encouraging each other, and that’s what leads to good team play.”