Constantine grad Lewis looking forward to bombing it off the tee at Glen Oaks

Posted by Admin August 21, 2024 Golf

CENTREVILLE — The Glen Oaks Community College golf team is looking to find its way back to the national tournament in the spring.

It won’t be easy, as head coach Ed Culp knows, because the team is replacing five sophomores from a group that reached the pinnacle tournament of community college golf last year.

Constantine graduate Gaven Lewis is hoping to help the Vikings get there once again. Earlier this year, he signed on to continue his academic and educational careers with Glen Oaks, a place that is obviously close to home for him.

Lewis decided to play baseball in his final season at Constantine High School, but he can still tee it up with the best of them. Culp said one of Lewis’ best attributes comes from the tee box.

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“He hits it long, he’s a bomber and I love that. You don’t always have to be that guy, but we love that on our team,” Culp said of Lewis. “He fits in perfectly with us. We love having more local players on the team. I think it helps them bond and they can know each other prior to being with us.”

Lewis agreed that being consistent and solid off the tee has helped his game. When he can be dependable off the tee and know what he will bring throughout the round, it helps set up the rest of his game each hole.

And after he hits a solid tee shot, having a comfortable iron shot into greens can be beneficial as well.

Lewis said the best club in the bag is probably his eight iron.

“One of my favorite clubs,” he said. “Carry it 160-165 (yards). Flush it and it feels good.”

He loves playing at Island Hills Golf Club and Klinger Lake Country Club. Both courses bring advanced play options for him and can be tough if he isn’t consistent. Lewis said playing as often as he can helps with steady, persistent play.

“I try to play as much as I can, sometimes you can get inconsistent in spots if you don’t play enough,” he said. “But I think I’m pretty good at re-adjusting.”

The mental portion of playing golf, especially now at the collegiate level, will be a major role for Lewis. He said being able to stay within himself and not get too emotional will help him as his golf career continues.

“You gotta stay calm, that’s important and I think it’s a big part of my game, to keep my mind calm,” he said. “It can be tough if you hit a bad shot, but I think I do a good job of getting back to where I need to be.”

Lewis’ academic future will be in business management. He said aspirations of entrepreneurship are possible as well. He wants to get into the classroom and begin to learn about his future before making any decisions, but he has an idea.

When it comes to Constantine, Lewis said he will miss all the camaraderie with his classmates. Events like homecoming and Snowfest will always be fond memories and things you will never get to replace, he said.

But he’s also looking forward to his next steps.

“I’m really excited to keep playing golf. I’m looking forward to being in college and learning about business management,” he said. “My time management skills are good and I think that will help me.”

Culp is looking for a leader on his new team. He believes Lewis, and a couple other incoming freshmen, can help build that in their opening year. Golf is a fall and spring sport for GOCC, but most of the golf in the fall is invitational based, Culp said.

“We’re looking for leadership and we believe Gaven can play a big role there,” he said. “We have freshmen coming in that can and will be leaders, I think. It will be a challenge, but I think we can do that.”

Culp will be entering his fifth year as the coach of Glen Oaks in his second stint as the man in charge of the Vikings. He said players like Lewis have helped make it an easier transition back into coaching and he’s enjoying himself.

Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.