The golf team at Terrace’s Caledonia Secondary School is back in the city after competing in the 2023 BCSS ‘AAA’ Golf Provincial Championship, held earlier this month in Nanoose Bay, just north of Nanaimo.
The team, led by the school’s physical education teacher, David Lewis, competed against 22 teams from across the province and managed to rank 18th, outperforming expectations as they went into the competition seeded at the bottom.
Team members Mark Pietralla, Kelton Shinde, Jovan Sangha, Matthew McDicken and Ashton Forsyth played against several high-level teams. Forsyth, a newcomer to the provincial championship stage, joined Pietralla, Shinde, Sangha and McDicken who competed at the ‘AA’ provincial tournament last year.
Lewis expressed pride in his athletes who represented the community admirably, earning much praise.
“Nothing but good things were said about about our young men coming from our community,” Lewis said. “There were numerous officials at the course that were raving about how our boys did in regards to sportsmanship and just being decent people on the golf course.”
Competitors included athletes from places like Prince George and Kelowna who are enrolled in year-round programs and private golf schools, adding to the challenges they faced, Lewis said.
“We were going against players that only play golf, so it’s their sport,” Lewis said. “The competition was very intense,” but ultimately “the boys had a great experience.”
READ MORE: Terrace’s Caledonia Secondary School golf team to compete in provincial tournament
One of the unique challenges the team faced was adapting to a new golf course. They had to quickly adjust from their usual course in Terrace to the more challenging one in Nanoose Bay, all within the span of the three-day tournament.
Despite these challenges the team seized the opportunity, Lewis noted, to enjoy and appreciate the experience, especially given the effort it took to get to the provincial stage as a team from northern B.C.
“I kept preaching that to my players — regardless of how you’re playing, try and absorb as much of the experience as you possibly can and really be grateful for the fact that you’re on Vancouver Island, in this beautiful weather, playing this beautiful golf course because how many people get that experience?” Lewis said. “When we show up to provincials, we try our best to be as prepared as possible, mentally and physically, so that when we get down there we can prove that we’re team that wants to come down there and do damage,” Lewis said.
Lewis said this tournament provided invaluable insights into preparing for future competitions. He also lauded the team’s exposure to elite-level golfers, saying, “I think they were able to see what it takes to be at that level and what is required.”
As to the future, Lewis is unsure if the team will compete in the ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ tier next year. “The tiering system is based on the number of enrolled students in the high school, not necessarily the quality of the athletes in the program itself,” he explained. Regardless, Lewis confirmed, “We will have a program and we will be attending provincials.”
Lewis thanked the community, noting the significance of local sponsorship and volunteer efforts for the golf program at Cal.
“For a newer program like this, it’s very important that we have financial support from the community. And the support has been extremely valuable and appreciated,” he said.
Caledonia Secondary School’s golf program has been active for the last two years, with the boys training twice a week, even throughout the winter months. The team placed 13th in the 2022 BCSS ‘AA’ Golf Provincial Championship.
Viktor Elias joined the Terrace Standard in April 2023.
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