The Summit Magazine Spring 2023

Tee it High Golf program builds skills and character

According to English author P.G. Wodehouse, “Golf, like the measles, should be caught young, for, if postponed to riper years, the results may be serious.” Taking his advice, The Summit golf program begins in Middle School where this year, one of Summit’s golfers hit a hole in one, a remarkable achievement, considering the average years a golfer plays before hitting an ace is 24 (pga.com).

Middle School Ace

The talented ace is Graham Moore ’30 who has developed a love for golf since age 4 while playing alongside his father, Ryan Moore. The famous hole in one happened in October during a match against Walnut Hills with the Moore family in attendance for the shot. Graham was one of two top players on the team whose scores were so close, they were nearly interchangeable. The second player is Samuel Sprengard ’28, a left-hander.

In golf, each player tracks his opponent’s score in addition to his own strokes. The sportsmanship needed to play golf complements The Summit’s Leaders of Character program by requiring middle schoolers to practice being honorable, accountable, respectful and inclusive, some of the specific attributes taught and modeled at The Summit.

Rebuilding Upper School Program

Upper School math teacher Kevin Schomaker will take over the Upper School golf program this fall and will oversee both the boys’ and girls’ programs. He was Summit’s junior varsity coach last year and coached the golf team at Purcell Marian for three seasons prior to coming to The Summit.

“My coaching philosophy is to get each athlete to believe they can achieve more than what they previously thought possible,” he shares. “My goals for the upcoming season are to qualify the team to the district meet and hopefully get at least one individual golfer through to the state meet.”

With a strong Middle School program feeding into the Upper School, Athletic Director Greg Dennis believes Summit can be a top contender in the Miami Valley Conference in the coming years.

From Summit to Collegiate

The Class of 2022 had one player who was recruited to play golf in college: Erin Johnson ’22. At The Summit, Erin was not only an accomplished varsity level golfer, but a strong advocate for the game. Her love for the game has only increased since her years as a Silver Knight.

“I love the aspect that it may be a team sport but it’s really a personal sport because more than 75 percent of the game is mental,” Erin says. “To watch myself improve along the way feels good. That’s what makes me continue to practice and strive to play in upper levels if given the opportunity.”

The Pro Life

You have to go back a few years to find a Summit alumnus on the professional golf circuit. Wes Homan ’02 played under Coach Juenke and still holds many of The Summit’s individual golf records. Miami Valley Conference’s Player of the Year during his junior and senior years, he qualified for state all four years and finished with the silver medal in 2002, runner-up to his good friend and fellow professional golfer, Jason Kokrak.

“Golfing for Summit was definitely some of the best memories I have,” he says. “My only regret is we never won a state championship.”

What he loves about the game is that learning to play is a never-ending journey: “I know more now than ever and I’m as good as I’ve ever been, but there is still more to learn.”

To support The Summit’s golf program and ensure Summit golfers have the opportunities and equipment they need to compete, make a gift to The Summit Fund and select “Five Pillars Fund” then “Physical Fund.”