Success hasn’t gone to Noah Gillard’s head, that’s for sure.
The Center Grove senior had about as perfect a season as a high school golfer could in 2017, leading the Trojans to a dominating state finals victory and securing an individual championship for himself. But he’s heading into this spring just as he would have if none of that had happened.
“Just because I won last year doesn’t mean anything this year,” Gillard said. “There’s no state champion yet for 2018, so I’ve got to try to win it again.”
Gillard seems well positioned to do so. Not only did he finish off last year with a bang, shooting a final-round 66 to lead Center Grove to a 13-shot victory over runner-up Carmel, but he’s also a few steps ahead of where he was coming into his junior season.
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A 6-foot-7 wing on the Trojans’ basketball team, Gillard typically gets his golf season off to a slower start. But while his preseason work was limited last year by injuries suffered during basketball season, he managed to stay healthy this past winter.
That enabled him to stay at least somewhat fresh; Gillard says he tried to hit golf balls once a week during basketball, and he expects that he’ll be able to shake any offseason rust off a little more quickly this spring.
“The first couple of weeks will show me where I stand with my game and what I need to work on,” he said. “Obviously, I want to shoot well, but if I don’t I’m not going to get too discouraged.”
As Gillard rounds his game into shape, Center Grove coach Matt Rodman says he’d also like to see his No. 1 player serve as more of a leader this season. Though the Trojans have four of their top five players back from last year and a wealth of young talent behind them, Rodman would like to see his seniors, particularly Gillard, setting the tone for that whole group.
“Kids literally and figuratively look up to him,” Rodman said.
It’s not difficult to see why — Gillard was at his best in the biggest moments all of last year.
The University of Illinois recruit was the medalist in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference tournament, shooting a 65, and at the Johnson County championship, where he carded a 68. At the state finals, he blazed through the back nine with a 4-under-par 32 on the second and final day to help Center Grove take control of the tournament.
Gillard knows that none of that guarantees success for him or the rest of the Trojans this year — but having tasted that success has made him even more eager to do so again.
“I think we’re more hungry this year,” he said, “just because we know what it feels like to get that state title and we’ve finally gotten over the hump.”
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Trailing Carmel by six strokes after the first day of the 2017 state finals, Center Grove crushed the field on day two behind rounds of 66 from Noah Gillard and Sam Jean. A look at how lopsided the final day of competition was:
School;Round 2 score;Finish
Center Grove;281 (-7);1st
Noblesville;298 (+10);4th
Carmel;300 (+12);2nd
Westfield;301 (+13);3rd
Fort Wayne Dwenger;302 (+14);10th
Columbus North;303 (+15);5th
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