Lesko feels lucky to play
Rattlers golfer preparing for nationals
Kent Lesko is ready for the chance of a lifetime.
The Medicine Hat Rattlers athlete will represent his school as hosts of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association golf championship at Desert Blume from Oct. 15-19. As a mature student, playing in a college championship is an opportunity Lesko admits he thought had passed him by.
“I didn’t think I’d ever be in this situation, being a mature student and going back to school,” said Lesko. “I never thought this opportunity was going to be here for me. I just tried out not really expecting much, not expecting to make the team. I was fortunate enough to make the team and I’m very proud that I get to participate in such an event like this, at this stage of the game for me. I’m very proud and I feel honoured to be part of this event.”
If the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference golf season — or Medicine Hat’s recent cold spell — can be used as any indication, Lesko and the field are likely to be golfing in the cold at nationals. As of Tuesday the forecast calls for lows near 0 C next week. After spending the summer in shorts and single layers, Lesko says adjusting to biting cold of an early winter has been nothing short of challenging.
“In the summertime you’re always playing in hot conditions and the ball seems to be flying,” he said. “Your body is a lot looser, you have better mobility and you can swing the club more freely and easily. When you’re up there, you’re wearing layers and layers of clothing and it just restricts your movement. You can never really get settled in because the wind is blowing you around, it’s just an uneasy feeling.”
Regardless of the temperature, Lesko says he and his team of Rattlers golfers will enter nationals with an undeniable advantage — vast knowledge and experience on the links at Desert Blume.
“I think one of the biggest challenges when you play another course is getting a feel around the greens, with your short game and putting and things like that. Not knowing the speed of the greens is definitely a challenge for me and I know it’s a challenge for everybody else. Just knowing that we know where to miss, where our misses are going to be, how the greens are going to break and the speed of the greens is going to be really crucial for us.”
Lesko is joined by Matthaus Taylor, Derek Whitson, Brady Resch, David Coldham and Keaton Sulz on the Rattlers men’s squad, while Becky Martin, Nicole Schultz, Sierra Zukowski and Ciara Bonogofski round out the women’s team. Although both teams are sure to run up against some of the country’s best talent, Lesko says he’s truly excited to see how much noise they’re able to drum up as hosts of the big show.
“We’ve got some pretty good players on this team who I think can post some really good numbers,” he said. “I’m really excited to see how we’re going to fare against some of the best golfers in Canada.