Under Head Coach Russell Selnau, the Boulder High Boys Golf Team has created a culture of team unity and support. With that solid base, the results have come.
The team entered into this season with a lot of uncertainty about how it would go. First, improvement over the off-season is entirely self-motivated, as golf is an individual sport. This didn’t hinder the Panthers. Sam Skubic, ‘27, says that the offseason is “always a grind, but as long as you are able to keep playing and find a way to build some momentum going into the season, you have a great chance to succeed.”
Second, the Panthers were entering into a new league with some unfamiliar competition. However, the team handled this transition well. In fact, they thrived. Lennon Lozier, ‘25, said, “Being in a new league was definitely a big change from my last two years on the team. We had always been in a very large competitive league, so being in a smaller league allowed a lot of our team to get some confidence and a few wins. The smaller league also allowed some good competitive friendships to form, as many of us were playing with the same kids each tournament.” Loziers statement, “A few wins,” is quite the understatement. The Panthers won the entire inaugural Rocky Mountain League title.
Their success this season stems from the supportive ethos that Coach Selnau and Assistant Coach Huntington have created for the team. Selnau says that the team “did a great job coming together as a unit and supporting one another from week to week. While golf is such an individual sport, seeing the players cheering one another on in matches or working together at practice to improve their games is really rewarding to see.”
This focus on team chemistry is crucial to the Panthers’ success, as it makes what at times can be an isolating and solitary sport into a cohesive community. Lozier feels this support immensely. He says, “This team means the absolute world to me, especially as a senior. The team and Coach Selnau accepted me with open arms my sophomore year, and have been a great support system for me throughout high school. Some of my best friends in life have come from the team, and I will love this team forever.”
This team based mentality has not only led to good performances all season as a whole, but it has also resulted in impressive individual performances. For example, during the Panthers’ tournament at Riverdale Ridge, four out of the five Varsity players shot personal bests, and out of the top ten finishers, five were from Boulder High. During the regular season, Anton Taranda, ‘26, and Sam Skubic, ‘27, shot 4 and 5 under par, an incredible feat for any golfer. These stellar performances continued throughout the year. In the state tournament, Skubic finished 22nd, and Pierce Johnson, ‘28, placed 49th. Johnson said that it was nice to be competing at the same level as kids who were older than him because it enabled him to learn and also prove to them what he could do. Lozier seconds this. He says, “It was super exciting to see [Pierce] excel as a player at such a young age, and I can’t wait to see him develop as a player throughout high school.”
The Panthers persevered through uncertainty this year and are eager for next season. One thing, however, is sure: The team has never felt more like a family.
