Aurora ready to lead Hamden again
Alex Aurora wanted the opportunity to continue playing golf at a Division I college. He played well enough to have those opportunities.
A number of colleges in the Patriot League showed interest, as did Columbia in the Ivy League. Aurora, a senior at Hamden High, decided to go with the school that showed interest first: Lehigh.
“They were the first one to offer a verbal commitment,” said Aurora, who signed a national letter of intent in November. “I was mainly looking at Division I schools, ones with prestige and to get possibly good enough as team to qualify for something big. I wanted to have that opportunity.”
Colgate, Holy Cross and Fairfield were other schools Aurora was considering, but he liked “the campus on a hill overlooking Bethlehem (Pennsylvania).”
Aurora has been Hamden’s top golfer since his freshman season. He’s already a three-time All-Area performer and is off to a good start in his final season for the Green Dragons.
He has been either the medalist or co-medalist in his first five matches.
“Alex will go down as one of the best, if not the best players in school history,” Hamden coach Steve DelGrego said. “He is extremely hard-working on the course and in the classroom. I expect him to contend in SCC, state and (State) Open tournaments.”
Aurora has already been medalist in the Division I state tournament, shooting a 3-under-par 69 in 2017 on a cold, windy day at Fairview Farm GC in Harwinton. He’s come up short at the SCC championship meet in part due to his career coinciding with Chris Fosdick from Xavier and Will Mallek from Fairfield Prep.
Fosdick and Mallek have shared medalist laurels at the SCC meet each of the past two seasons. Aurora has placed second both times.
All are back to do battle at Race Brook CC in Orange once again in late May, along with Matt Doyle (Hand), Kyle St. Pierre (Shelton) and many others.
“There is definitely a lot of depth (in the SCC),” DelGrego said. How many kids can score, can go under par and already have this season? From what I see, it’s one of the strongest or the strongest conference.”
Kevin Morris, Hamden’s No. 2 golfer, shot 75 last season at the SCC championship meet. While a number of SCC teams have strong golfers at the top of the lineup, it remains to be seen which one will be the deepest.
Count Aurora and the Green Dragons as among those that could possibly finish on top in the SCC.