Dan Harrington is a member of the Chestnut Hill College golf team, a Division II school in Philadelphia. Ryan Black, an All-State golfer last year, went to Winchendon School to play hockey.
That’s the bad news.
“The good news is that the kids I have coming back. The kids we lost last year motivated these kids who were behind them and I can’t guarantee we will win a championship or give a guarantee about anything. I can guarantee you that these kids worked hard this summer,” said Centaurs coach Rich Garceau, who will be coaching for a 14th season.
Garceau, a member at the Centaurs’ home course of Quinnatisset Country Club in Thompson, had first- hand knowledge of that.
“I went over there myself and saw those kids maybe more than their parents did,” Garceau said with a laugh. “That’s good and it is showing.”
The Woodstock Academy finished 13-6, third in Division II of the Eastern Connecticut Conference last season. The Centaurs qualified for the Division II state championship and finished 11th.
Garceau expects the team will be competitive again this season.
Mason Stewart and Jack Gelhaus will lead the way. “Mason has been waiting his turn in the shadows a little bit but I think he’s ready to go,” Garceau said.
The only anxiety with Stewart is concern over a wrist injury that he suffered in hockey. Garceau said the team has been awaiting a release from the training staff, but Stewart is currently limited to chipping and putting in practice.
Gelhaus loves the game, so much so that he is headed to Coastal Carolina in the fall to take up golf course management.
“He’s looking really good. He’s a strong kid, an athlete, a soccer player who brings a lot of natural athletic ability,” Garceau said.
The Woodstock Academy coach also has the likes of Eli Child, Owen Borski and Robert Maheu to work with, players who have been members of the team for a while.
Jake Starr and Justin Marcotte also return to the team.
Newcomers to the program include Nick Zagrodmy, Yilin Chen, Grayson Walley, Panagiotis Chrisovechotis, Aiden Anderson, Rockwell Valentine and Gelhaus’ younger brother, Huck.
“Every year, making the state tournament and winning (an ECC title) which is not out of the realm of possibility. I will need a couple of guys further in to step up and surprise me and go beyond even where they expect to go. In the past when we’ve won titles, that’s usually where we win it,” Garceau said.
The problem for the golf team, as it is with so many other spring sports, is getting outside to practice.
The continuous bouts of winter weather have left most golf courses in the area shuttered.
It means the majority of practice time is spent indoors.
“Very little can be done,” Garceau said. “We have a single-bay driving range net, one person at a time. We have been able to find a few spots outside to do some chipping. There are a lot of little lines on the gym floor that I have a putting drill for. Is it perfect? No. We spend time in the lecture hall reviewing rules so they know their options and improve their golf course knowledge.”
But not all were happy with that.
“Some of the new guys when they learned we were going to be inside, not on the golf course, disappeared. Our numbers decreased a little, but it left me the kids who I know are dedicated and willing to stick it out even if it means being in the lecture hall or gym. They know they will be on the golf course eventually so I have a good core group of kids. We are always more successful with recruiting when we have a warmer spring,” Garceau said.
Girls’ Golf
Graduation also hit the Centaurs girls’ golf program pretty hard.
“It will be very difficult to replace Roxanne Garceau,” said coach Earl Semmelrock.
Roxanne Garceau was a three-time Eastern Connecticut Conference All-Star who had the best round of her high school career when it counted the most. She shot a 1-over par, 37 in the ECC championship last year, to win her third straight ECC individual title.
She is playing for Central Connecticut State University this season.
But all is not lost for the Centaurs girls either.
“With a veteran returning team (the Centaurs will have five starters back), we should be able to contend for the league title again,” Semmelrock said.
Among the key players returning will be seniors Caroline Eaton (a 49 in last year’s championship tournament), Caitlin Cannon and Olivia Perry. Also back are junior Katherine Harrington and sophomore Linda St. Laurent.
“We have 16 other girls that are trying out, too, so I’m excited about the team’s potential,” Semmelrock said.
Garceau Moving On
Roxanne Garceau now knows where her next stop will be.
Garceau learned in January that this will be her first and only season playing golf at CCSU. The New Britain school announced at the time that it was ending the program at the end of the season.
Roxanne Garceau will head for Gannon University, a Division II school, in Erie, Penn., in the fall.
The family took a drive out recently.
It was not the best experience. “It was snowing, it was sleeting, half-freezing rain, just horrible weather and we were convinced that this was the craziest place to drop our daughter off and leave. But she met the coaches and her new teammates and she connected with them. She seemed like she knew them forever after 10 minutes,” said Rich Garceau.
Despite being pursued by other schools, Roxanne Garceau’s mind was made up.
“It was a slam dunk,” Rich Garceau said.
Rich Garceau said, despite the weather, the facilities inside the school are “phenomenal” including a golf room, a chipping green, a putting green, a driving net and two golf simulators. There is also a large building, about 75 yards long with a high ceiling, where players can hit golf balls
“Erie may have seen it’s better days come and go, but it looks like the town is trying to rebuild itself around the school,” Rich Garceau said.
Boys' golf schedule
 Thursday, Apr. 5:   at Tourtellotte                             3 p.m.
Tues., Apr. 10:  at NFA (with Bacon Academy),     3 p.m.
Mon., Apr. 23:  at Killingly (with NFA and Putnam), 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 24:  Stonington                                    3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 25: East Lyme, Tourtellotte          3 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 26:  at Montville                                 3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1:    Bacon Academy                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 3:   at Waterford                                3 p.m.
Mon., May 7:    at Wildcat Invitational (at NFA)       TBA
Wednesday, May 9: Killingly                                      3 p.m.
Thursday, May 10: at Stonington                               3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 15: Montville                                       3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 16: at East Lyme                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 17: at Bacon Academy                      3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22: Waterford                                      3 p.m.
Thursday, May 24: Plainfield                                      3 p.m.
Girls’ Golf schedule
Monday, Apr. 9:  at East Lyme                                   3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 11: at NFA                                      4 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 24: at Glastonbury                             3 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr. 25: at Bacon Academy                3 p.m.
Thursday, Apr. 26: NFA                                             3 p.m.
Monday, Apr. 30: Suffield                                         3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1: at Suffield                                       3 p.m.
Thursday, May 3: Waterford                                      3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Wildcat Invitational (at NFA)          TBA
Thursday, May 10: Glastonbury                               3 p.m.
Fri., May 11: at Waterford (with Bacon Academy)    3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 16: at East Lyme                            3 p.m.
Thursday, May 17: Bacon Academy                           3 p.m.
Wednesday, May 23: East Lyme                                 3 p.m. 
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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