Members of the Wellington Secondary golf team (L-R): Dimitri Vassilopoulus, Matt Wilson, Isabel Schwager, Jeremy Jacklin, Maria Schwager and coach Brian Lennox. (submitted photo)

By Alex Rawnsley

provincial prep

Nanaimo high school golfers vying for provincial title

May 22, 2024 | 2:47 PM

NANAIMO — The Wellington Secondary golf team is looking at a shot at provincials after some dominant performances across Vancouver Island.

Dimitri Vassilopoulus, Matt Wilson, Jeremy Jacklin, and Isabel and Maria Schwager all put together leading performances to help their team win both the North Island and Island championships at the AAA level.

They now qualify as one of the top teams for provincials, being held in Victoria in early June and is the result of an unending commitment to the sport, said coach Brian Lennox.

“They’re such dedicated kids, they’re unbelievable how dedicated they are. I‘ve coached basketball for many years and I’ve not witnessed the level of dedication they have to the sport and their craft.”

Tournaments to date have been one-day affairs, with a team’s top four rounds combined for a final score.

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Wellington shot a combined 295, averaging around 74 strokes per golfer for an 18-hole round.

At the May 16 Island championships at Gorge Vale in Victoria, the team shot a combined 304 under extremely blustery conditions for the win, in a performance Lennox dubbed as “phenomenal.”

Provincials will be a two-day tournament with the best four scores among the five players tabulated each day.

Strategy comes into play for Lennox with golfers paired up according to their handicap and rank on the team.

“The girls [Maria and Isabel Schwager] wanted to challenge themselves and see if they could move up and I thought it would be an interesting strategy to put one of our players, Jeremy [Jacklin], who is shooting in the mid-70s now as the fifth golfer playing against other number five golfers. He is, I would say, the best. If not the best, he’s up there with anybody else in the province at that level.”

He’s optimistic their team strategy paired with the fine form of all team members will prove to be a formidable combination.

Isabel Schwager told NanaimoNewsNOW their group is extremely cohesive and backs their abilities in all situations.

“We’re practicing a lot during this time we have before the tournament and just working well as a team. We just have a great team, we all know each other so well. We practice at [Nanaimo Golf Club] mostly every day, and we just have such a good bond with everyone. It’s just practice, practice, practice.”

Despite the individual nature of the sport, Isabel said every performance is about the team.

“We trust them so much, we know what they’re capable of and we just focus on ourselves and do the best we can then see how it ends up. I never stress about anyone else’s game, just hyper-focus on mine and that’s what everyone else does and that’s what helps us compete.”

Both Isabel and Maria first picked up clubs when they were six years old.

A decade later, they’re not only focused on provincials but also on opportunities to come.

“I’m really trying to pursue Division 1 or 2 in the States, that would be amazing,” Maria said, with her sister concurring. “I really want to continue on my golf career and see where I can take it for the next decade or so. Somewhere warm would be amazing.”

The AAA Provincial golf championships are held at Arbutus Ridge Golf Course in Cobble Hill from June 3-5.

Locally, Nanaimo Christian School is hosting the A provincials at Fairwinds Golf Resort the same week.

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