Our roundup of recent Wellesley, Mass. sports news:
Young golfer flourishes
Wellesley been an absolute golfing hotbed of late. Wellesley High’s girls’ team took third at states. Wellesley High grad Michael Thorbjorsen played at the U.S. Open (which about half of Wellesley must have attended based on the amount of swag I’ve seen around town…) and then finished fourth at the Travelers Championship shortly after. Then Conner Willett of Wellesley grabbed headlines by winning the Massachusetts Amateur Championship under the most difficult of personal circumstances.
Under the radar: Wellesley’s Skylar Kotzen, a 5th grader at the Rashi School. She qualified for a spot at the US Kids Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, N.C. this summer.
Kotzen got her start in golf at the age of three, thanks in large part to early play with her paternal grandparents.
She really began to focus on the game during the pandemic. “Once team sports all shut down in the Spring of 2020, the one sport Sky could reliably continue was golf,” says her mother, Elyssa. “Leading up to the end of the school year, she was playing 6-7 times a week.”
Kotzen plays in US Kids Golf Tournaments year-round, and her performance during 2021 qualified her for an invite to the girls’s event for ages 9 and 10. She’ll be the only Massachusetts golfer in that group.
She’s getting used to taking her game on the road. Kotzen traveled to Florida at the start of this summer to play and receive instruction at IMG Academy (I’ve rarely played golf, but even I know of IMG). The young golfer says it’s great to have exposure to different courses, so loves to play wherever she gets the opportunity.
While Kotzen loves golf, she also enjoys many other sports, including tennis and biking. Around the house, she cooks and bakes.
Kotzen’s motivation in golf includes being in a sport where she can always improve, where she can challenge herself to get better by adapting to courses, terrain, and elements. She also enjoys meeting kids from around the country, and soon, the world.
Though the multigenerational aspect of golf is also a draw for Kotzen, who likes playing with older family members and their friends, too. Though you’re more likely to find the young golfer’s dad caddying for her.
Congrats to All-Scholastics
Athletes from Wellesley have been recognized as Boston Globe All-Scholastics for their spring sports season performances (subscription may be required to access Boston Globe article).
Wellesley All-Scholastics:
- Rory Clare (WHS girls’ track & field—running)
- Harry Collomb (WHS boys’ tennis)
- Alanna Dumalac (WHS girls’ lacrosse)
- Jacqueline Lee (girls’ tennis at Rivers)
- Edward Webb (WHS boys’ track & field—javelin)
Coach of the Year in girls’ track: John Griffith
Also recognized are the Phelps Scholar Athletes, and this included Wellesley’s Mark Henshon, who excelled in basketball, baseball, and cross-country for Roxbury Latin.
Many other Wellesley athletes were recognized for honorary mention or as all-stars.
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