Captain James Watson ’06 leads the Varsity Golf team into a 2006 campaign where it looks to continue the success of last year’s team. Captain Watson has proven himself time and time again to be solid and consistent golfer. He will not be alone, as a core group of upperclassmen have shown that they are more than able to support him. Andover, on paper, looks to have a very strong team. The key reason for this is quality play from the class of 2006. Seniors Tom Tassinari ’06, Simon Keyes ’06, Owen Remeika ’06 and many others will definitely contribute a lot and look to guide the team and hopefully prepare the underclassmen for next season. Many of these Seniors have participated on the team for multiple years, and their games have improved drastically. Andover also looks to defend its title as the winner of the Witherspoon Bowl, won in thrilling fashion last year against Exeter and Governor Dummer. Following the departure of Nat Smith as head coach, Coach Christopher Odden has stepped in as Varsity head coach. Coach Odden was an assistant under Coach Smith and looks to continue his winning ways. Commenting on the coaching change, sophomore talent Michael Sullivan ’08 said, “Coach Smith…will definitely be missed, but the new coaches seem to be picking up exactly where Coach Smith left off.” Although the Senior class has a huge load on its shoulders this season, the performance of the team’s underclassmen will be equally crucial. There is a great deal of talk about Evan Harmeling ’07 after his accomplishments this summer. Harmeling won a few large invitational tournaments across the country and was the No. 1 player on last year’s Andover squad. Those new to the school will also affect the team. New Lowers Tanner McNeil ’08 and Nicholas Koh ’08 look to have a strong impact at the varsity level. The ladies also look to play an important role for the Big Blue. Returning players such as Andrea Coravos ’06 and Kristin Macdonald ’07 will hopefully guide the ladies group to several strong performances. The 2006 season will hopefully be a strong and promising one. When asked about the upcoming season, Sullivan replied, “We definitely look to have a strong team and a promising season.” The Big Blue will travel to Tabor to open the season on April 8th.
