By Matt Browning

Deitrek Gill of Wellington was voted the Wichita Large School Boys Golfer of the Year. Gill finished fourth in the rain-shortened 4A Tournament this year, after taking home the individual title last season.

“I am grateful to have been chosen as the VYPE Large School Golfer of the Year,” Gill said. “I’ve been competing with the other nominated golfers for many years, so I know how strong they are. I felt honored just to be nominated. I look forward to playing against them again this summer.”

There were many accomplishments for Gill this season, including being league and regional individual champion. There were high hopes for him and the Crusaders to repeat as state champions, but Mother Nature had other ideas.

“We were close in both after the first day, and I was looking forward to the opportunity to come back the next day,” Gill said. “Unfortunately, the second round was rained out, and we didn’t have a chance to battle back from second place.”

Being able to overcome adversity and embrace whatever challenges faced him during a round was an area of growth for Gill this season.

“My biggest area of growth this year in my game was my mental toughness,” Gill said. “I felt that was more critical this year because the weather was extremely bad. I was able to grind my way through those tough rounds better than I have in the past.”