Sparta golf teams post strong season with wins, young talent showing promise

There were plenty of bright moments for the Sparta High School golf program (girls and boys teams) this recently concluded season.

Head coach Jerry Carter, who knows what it takes to win big matches in the sport said both teams had big wins this season.

Solid leadership was always there for the Spartans this year.

“Hannuri Lee and Jocelyn Beach were our girls captains,’’ Carter said. “They showed improvement all four years on the team and were an excellent role model for our younger girls.

“Ryan Grychuk and Matt Stites were the team captains this year. They helped coordinate several functions this year along with our booster club.’’

Lee and Beach were among the student athletes within the program who steadily improved at every given opportunity.

“Hannuri Lee and Jocelyn Beach were a steadying force on our team,’’ Carter said. “Rebecca Johnson (sophomore) continued to make steady progress. The bulk of our team was made up of freshmen. Brooke Seger, Julianna Bednarz, Olivia Mooney, Amy Puhala, Kallista Korines, Christine Legend and Ellie Weidner give us great hope for the future.

“Calvin Kircher was our scoring leader this year and closed out the season with a second place finish at the Sussex Cup with a 76. Cody Sutton and Bennett Coleman were a pleasant surprise as they were consistent the entire season. Sean Collins made great strides from his freshman year into his sophomore year and we expect more growth next year.’’

It was really a productive year for Sparta golf and the future appears promising as well.

“Calvin Kirchner will come back for his senior year to continue his excellent career with Sparta golf,’’ Carter said. “Sean Collins and Graham Hantson will be juniors and give us a solid base. We expect some of our sophomores (Declan Byrne, Owen Deters, Joseph Guardia, Cayde Kowalsky, David Sturchio and Jake Willenborg), to step up next season.

“We have a good group of freshmen girls coming back to join our only returning sophomore Rebecca Johnson. We are fortunate to have a great mix of young people on our boys and girls teams as we move forward to next season.’’