Lincoln Academy’s Drew Nichols chips the ball onto the green during a 7-2 win over Medomak on Monday, Sept. 22 in Rockland. Nichols earned medalist honors with the low score of the day (42) as the 8-0 Eagles remained undefeated. (Mic LeBel photo)
The Lincoln Academy golf team beat Medomak Valley 7-2 on Monday, Sept. 22 at the Rockland Golf Club. The Eagles outstroked the Panthers 181-192 to earn the three-point team score bonus and remained undefeated this season with a record of 8-0 while the Panthers dropped to 4-4 on the season. Both teams struggled on the putting greens, which were bumpy and perforated due to seasonal maintenance activity.
Lincoln’s Drew Nichols was the medalist in the match, carding a low score of 42 while beating Medomak’s top golfer Joseph Wilcox (47) 2 and 1.
Medomak’s Joseph Wilcox watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during a 7-2 loss to undefeated Lincoln Academy on Monday, Sept. 22 in Rockland. (Mic LeBel photo)
Max Blake (54) lost 2 down to Medomak’s Micah Fagonde (48). Lincoln’s Brody Day (47) defeated Mason Nguyen (49) 1 up. Eagle Reed Prentice (47) lost 1 down to Sebastian Mank (48). Dylan Lomas (45) beat Panther Kollin Donlin (51) 4 and 2. Lincoln’s Dre Eraklis (47) beat Wyatt Hood (51) 1 up.
“This is my 19th year of coaching and I don’t remember having an undefeated season, even in years we won team or individual championships,” said Eagles coach Todd Brackett. “The commitment to practice and play more golf in the offseason has significantly contributed to their success.”
Dylan Lomas hits his second shot on the fifth hole during a 7-2 win over Medomak on Monday, Sept. 22 at Rockland Golf Club. (Mic LeBel photo)
Brackett noted that the core six starters played a lot of golf this summer, including a couple players who worked at Wawenock Golf Club in Walpole. He cited Nichols, a sophomore, as a young player that has shown dramatic improvement since last season.
“Nichols worked on his game in the offseason and has been leading the team in the one or two spot,” said Brackett. “Colin Mitchell joined the team this year as a sophomore and has stepped right into a leadership role, scoring the lowest match average thus far (40.5). Colin is just ahead of Drew, who is averaging 41.8.”
Brackett said the team has a recipe for success when those two low averages are combined with five of their varsity teammates, sophomores Day, Blake, Prentice, Eraklis, and Lomas, who have all been averaging well below 50 this season.
“Our team is young but it is deep, and our success comes from the top six players consistently posting low scores both home and away,” said Brackett.
Some of the seeds for success were planted last fall, when the young group was mentored by recent graduate Kellen Adickes, who was a team captain that won the New England high school boys golf championship in 2023. “Kellen stays in touch with his former teammates on a regular basis,” said Brackett. “He spent time mentoring them on and off the course over his tenure at LA. Not only did Kellen teach them skills, he also shared his love for the game and his dedication toward self improvement.”
Brackett also attributes this year’s success to an unusual level of team chemistry.
“This group stands out to me as one of the closest knit groups I have experienced in my 19 years of coaching,” said Brackett. “Many of them have grown up together, play other team sports, or share similar interests. Their friendship and camaraderie is a joy to watch, and that has set the foundation for them to be a successful team.”
Dre Eraklis lines up his putt during Lincoln Academy’s 7-2 win over Medomak on Monday, Sept. 22 at Rockland Golf Club. (Mic LeBel photo)
Lincoln 6 – Leavitt 3
The Lincoln Academy golf team beat Leavitt 6-3 on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at the Turner Highlands golf course in Turner.
The Eagles and the Hornets each won three individual matches, so the contest was determined by which team had the best cumulative team score. The squads were tied with a cumulative score of 185 strokes, so based on Maine Principals’ Association rules, the three points for the best team score came down to a tiebreaker in the fifth individual match between Lincoln’s Dylan Lomas and Leavitt’s Reed Hallowell.
Lomas carded a 49, and Hallowell scored a 52, so Lincoln won the tiebreaker and earned the three points for best team score, making the final scores Lincoln 6 and Leavitt 3.
Colin Mitchell (44) was defeated 2 up by Leavitt’s Tom Pratt (42), who earned medalist honors for lowest score of the day. Lincoln’s Drew Nichols (48) lost to James Brisson (44) 3 and 2. Brody Day (47) won 5 and 4 over Leavitt’s Morgan Folsom (48).
Eagle Max Blake (46) beat Liam Turcotte (56) 4 and 3. Lincoln’s Dylan Lomas (49) won 2 and 1 over Reed Hallowell (52). Kelly Manahan (68) lost 4 and 2 to Leavitt’s Noah Cote (51).
Leavitt won the JV match 2-1. Lincoln’s Harrison Thompson lost 4-3 to Tucker Harrington (53). Weston Bradley (66) halved his match with Leavitt’s Brady Minard (64). Lincoln’s William Coles (62) halved his match with Connor Ruttenburg (65).
Brody Day lofts a shot close to the pin during Lincoln Academy’s 7-2 win over Medomak on Monday, Sept. 22 in Rockland. (Mic LeBel photo)
Lincoln 8 – Gardiner 1
The Lincoln Academy golf team beat Gardiner 8-1 in a light rain on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Augusta Country Club in Manchester.
Lincoln’s Colin Mitchell (44) lost 4 and 2 to Jack Quinn (33), who was the 2024 Class B individual state champion. Quinn was the medalist in the match, carding the lowest score on the day with a three under-par 33.
The rain did not seem to bother the Eagles who swept the rest of the matches and beat the Tigers for the lowest team score with 168, 28 strokes better than Gardiner’s 196.
Drew Nichols (36) had the best round of the day for the Eagles, winning 5 and 4 over Connor Tibbetts (52). Brody Day (42) beat Luke Whelan (56) 4 and 3. Reed Prentice (50) won 4 and 3 over Wyatt Gero (57). Dylan Lomas (47) beat Ewan Barnicoat (55) 2 and 1. Max Blake (46) beat Gavin Marquis (66) 5 and 3.
With the lopsided victory over the 2024 Class B champion Tigers, the Eagles remained undefeated at 9-0 with just one match remaining in the regular season.
