Owen Gibney ’24

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Golf is a fun hobby or pastime for many people, but throughout the school year, the Strake Jesuit Golf Team takes this very difficult sport to a highly competitive level. Crusader Golf is looking better than ever. 

On February 6, our varsity team of Ethan Bradford ‘24, Nehal Othee ‘25, Heger Davis ‘25, Noah Kim ‘25, and Christian Ellestad ‘25 took 3rd in Pearland’s tournament at Golfcrest. 

The next week, they dominated the leaderboard at their annual varsity tournament at Sugar Creek Country Club. Led by junior Will Gillette’s 75 (2nd overall), the A team won the tournament for the 5th straight year. Junior Evan Criner’s 78 led the B team to a 2nd place finish, topping Kinkaid’s A team. With many talented young freshmen and sophomores, the JV team placed first or second in more than half of their tournaments this year as well. 

After the regular season wrapped up, on March 27-28, the Varsity Golf Team won their second consecutive District 23-6A Championship at the Wilderness Golf Course in Lake Jackson, led by individual champion William Suell ‘24 and bronze medalist Owen Gibney ‘24. On Day 1, the A Team of William Suell, Owen Gibney, Will Gillette, Greyson Carr ‘24, and Noah Kim tied a school postseason record by shooting 295 (+7), led by Suell’s 71 (-1) and Gibney’s 72 (even). Suell and Gibney’s Day 1 performances were among our best all-time postseason individual rounds; however, with only a three-shot lead going into Day 2, the team was determined to follow up with another stellar effort. Suell paced the field on Tuesday, firing a 69 (-3) to win the individual tournament title, with Gibney finishing third. Suell’s two-day total of 140 (-4) is the best two-day tournament score in SJ Golf history. Meanwhile, the other A Team members did their part, finishing with a team score of 302 (+14). Their team total of 597 (+21) over the two rounds is the second-best postseason total in SJ Golf history, and they ran away with the District Title, besting Dawson by 23 shots. The B Team of Evan Criner, Ethan Bradford, Heger Davis ‘25, Christian Ellestad ‘25, and Nehal Othee ‘25, along with the Medalist group of Preston Flowers ‘24, Connor Ayers ‘25, and Jacob Leach ‘25, also contributed several noteworthy efforts. Flowers’s 77 on Day 1 was a personal best, and all the players on the B Team finished within six total shots of each other, showcasing our depth. 

“I’m really proud of how we competed,” head coach Mr. Jeremy Dunford said. “We have had to overcome a lot of adversity this season, and we finally showed our potential when it mattered most. Not only is this one of the most talented groups of golfers ever to play for Strake Jesuit, but they also work extremely hard and are never satisfied. This is shaping up to be the best season of SJ Golf in over a decade!” 

While our B Team and Medalists have concluded their tournament play for the season, our A Team will travel to Eagle Pointe in mid-April for the regional championship.