The South Bend Trinity at Greenlawn boys golf program burst on the scene in a historic way during the 2024 season.
Can history repeat itself this time around for the Titans?
Coach Jerry Janowski's squad won the program's first-ever sectional crown a season ago in just its third year of team competition in the IHSAA. It then placed second at the regional round before wrapping up postseason play with a 15th-place finish at the Indiana State Finals. The school, with an enrollment at the time of 127 students, was the third smallest to make the state finals.
Trinity, which checked in as the lone team in the Tribune's coverage area in the preseason poll at No. 17, lost a pair of key pieces in Jacob Palmer and Max Cressy. Palmer, now playing for Holy Cross, had scoring averages of 38.33 for nine holes and a school record 75.56 for 18 holes and was academic all-state. The pair qualified for regionals in 2023. Palmer shot 157 at the state finals to lead his team, while Cressy finished at 179.
Trinity will be led by sophomore Drew Sweikar. He was sectional champion a season ago with a 71, was fifth at the regional with a 77 and shot 163 for his two rounds at state. The lineup also includes key returnees from the state team in sophomores Nathan Palmer and Jackson Cressy. Palmer shot 170 and Cressy 178 at state. The outstanding trio were three of the total of eight freshmen in the field at the state finals in 2024.
"We are excited to get this season going after last year's historic run to the IHSAA State Finals," Trinity coach Janowski said. "It will be hard to duplicate last year's success."
The trio of Saint Joseph, Penn and Northridge should be among the other area teams to keep an eye on this spring.
The Huskies were sectional runner-up to Trinity a season ago and placed seven at the regional round. St. Joe returns a strong group, led by senior Thomas Raster.
The Kingsmen were fourth in the sectional after winning the Northern Indiana Conference title. Penn did graduate its top two players in Dillan Mounts and Jack Yewchuk, who was a state qualifier in 2024.
Northridge won its fourth straight sectional title and placed seventh at the Warsaw Regional. The Raiders did lose a strong senior class, including its top two players in Coby and Conner Hochstetler.
Among other area teams that could be a factor in 2025 are Marian, LaPorte, New Prairie, Fairfield and Plymouth. All five were regional qualifiers a season ago.
