STOCKBRIDGE -- Finding positives during an 0-15 season can be a difficult task, but the Mount Greylock golf team has found a way to do just that.
The Mounties put a close to a difficult 2012 campaign, but are reflecting on only the positives.
"It's been a fun year," freshman Matt Wiseman said after Sunday's Berkshire County Classic. "I really just wanted to get better everyday and that's what we all did."
The season was the first under the direction of new coach Luke Polidoro. He came to Greylock after five seasons of directing the Pittsfield High School golf team. When he started at Greylock, he inherited a team with just one upperclassman. He knew the potential for a difficult season was there and made sure not to focus on wins and losses.
"The scores have been dropping and the kids all learned a lot this year," Polidoro said. "We didn't win a match, but wins and losses aren't the most important thing. The kids are working on things that they have been taught, whether it's on the range or on the golf course, and that's the great part."
Aaron St. Martin, Steve Jayko, Mike Strizzi, Matt Wiseman, Lily Crolius and Kyle Alveraz will all return to the team next year after finishing this season in the starting lineup. Josh Jezouit and Eli Ostheimer also saw time on the varsity squad this year.
The following season, only St. Martin will be gone.
"I went into the season with no expectations and
Wiseman, a freshman, saw his scores drop throughout the season. He started the season shooting in the 50's and has since dropped down to the low 40s.
"It's probably my short game that has got a lot better through the year," Wiseman said. "That and my mental game. I learned to keep my head in the game. I used to get really mad when I made a horrible hole, now I just try to bounce back."
He's not the only one to see his score fall this year. Strizzi started the year in the mid 50s and cut to the high 40s, shooting a low score of 41 on the year. Jayko and Crolius also followed suit. Jayko recorded a low of 44, and Crolius shot a 45 after starting the season with 59s. St. Martin also saw improvement.
"They're becoming more consistent, as well," Polidoro said. "And the mental side is improving. It's about the ability to come back. When you make a double or triple bogey in golf, it's usually not because you hit a bad shot. It's usually because you made a bad decision, so the decision-making has gotten a lot better.
"The thing I'm most impressed with ... they all just kept positive attitudes, more so than any other team I've every coached. They knew it was a building year and just wanted to improve."
To reach Sam Monroe, email
smonroe@thetranscript.com.
On Twitter: @NAT_DigitalSam
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