Monday, Oct 27 – 9 a.m. – Ryan Kim tees off in a shotgun start on the seventh hole at the University of Maryland Golf Course, hoping to advance to Wednesday for the finals.
Wednesday, Oct. 29 – 2:30 p.m. – Ryan Kim finishes his state championship round on the ninth hole with a score of nine over, anxiously waiting for the rest of the field to finish.
3:30 p.m. – final group finishes their round; Kim becomes the first WJ golfer in six years to place at the State Championship.
As only a sophomore, Ryan Kim completed a feat that hundreds of golfers around Maryland only dream about. After a score of 72 on the first day of states, he advanced to the second round on Wednesday, Oct. 29 where he backed up his score with a 79. With that, Ryan Kim marked his name to be remembered in WJ golf history for years to come.
“It felt pretty good. I’ve never done that before, so it was a new experience. The weather was really bad this year. It was challenging, but, yeah, it was still pretty fun,” Ryan Kim said.
To those who know Ryan, the final result came as no surprise. The sophomore standout made it to the state championship last year and cruised his way back this season.
“I expected him to place this year because of how much work he had put in over the summer and how much work he had done throughout the years of his career,” senior captain Daniel Kim said. “He is an incredibly hard worker. I mean, he doesn’t give himself a rest.”
Although highlighted by Ryan Kim’s performance, the golf team finished as the sixth-best team in the state. All four members who qualified for the state championship were able to compete in the final round on Wednesday.
The Wednesday afternoon on the 6,672 yard-long course marked the end of the season for the Cats. The joyous occasion came with a bittersweet undertone as the seniors placed their last tees for WJ.
“Those are my guys. They’re my best friends, and, you know, it kind of feels unreal. That’s the last time that I’m playing with them,” Ryan Kim said.
One of those seniors included senior year starter and captain Paul Gomes who grabbed his final ball from the hole for WJ golf, ending his storied high school career.
“I played in every match, every district, every state, every scramble,” Gomes said. “It’s been a really big part of me throughout the years. And that’s kind of gone, so I’m definitely gonna miss it.”
Gomes’ presence was felt by everyone, and his impact extended well beyond just the course.
“He’s the captain,” head coach Thomas Wheeler said. “He makes sure everybody’s on time, knows what to do, where to be. He’s a calming presence. He doesn’t get too excited about anything. And we’ll miss him as the leader of the team.”
The team was able to battle adversity throughout the whole year, constantly improving as the season progressed. Although still falling short to familiar foes Whitman and Churchill in the state championship, the team is proud of their determination and hard work.
“With hard work, I guess anybody can do anything, you know, at first, our group of guys wasn’t as good as some of the top schools, but with hard work and team chemistry, we really got up there,” Gomes said.
Along with the seniors giving their final curtain call, Wheeler is officially retiring after 20 years of coaching golf. Wheeler has golfed state champions, future D1 golfers, and has impacted hundreds of student-athletes.
“I was glad to see the team make such progress. Made me happy in my last year,” Wheeler said. “If you coach at Walter Johnson, you’re gonna run into some good talent.”
The team is now left in the hands of junior Graham Kosner and the strong sophomore class, highlighted by Ryan Kim and backed up by Owen Struzziero. The future is bright for the cats, with Kim’s eyes set on winning the state championship.
