By Nicole Gould
Photography by Bosley Jarrett
At seven-years-old, Jack Halleron would accompany his dad to the driving range for some father-son bonding. A year later and those trips turned into a burgeoning athletic career only a
child could dream of.
Halleron, a sophomore at Boy’s Latin, began his golf career at eight-years-old and by the time he reached 10, was competing in International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) tournaments.
To this day, Halleron has six total IJGT tournament wins in his career. “I remember winning a tournament at
Duke University and I really enjoyed seeing the campus while playing there,” Halleron says. “Some of my favorite moments during these tournaments have been spending time with my dad and my golf friends.”
Heading into his freshman year on the golf team for Boy’s Latin, Halleron certainly made his name well known, capturing the individual golf title in his first appearance at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Individual Strokeplay Championships.
“Winning the MIAA Individual Tournament as a freshman is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to Jack’s excellence as a golfer,” Head Coach Charles Franklin admits. “As talented as Jack is, what sets him apart is both his ability to stay mentally focused and his humble demeanor. I couldn’t be prouder of how Jack represents Boy’s Latin on the golf course.”
Halleron shot two under par and secured a two-stroke lead going into the final round where he shot a 70, three under par for a combined two-round total of 139. While Halleron was an individual champion, the Boy’s Latin golf team had an undefeated season, resulting in MIAA B Conference Champions.
“It was a great feeling when I won the MIAA Individual Championship,” Halleron explains. “Going into the event, I wasn’t playing that great, so my expectations weren’t very high. When I shot a 69 after the first round, I knew that I had a good opportunity, but also knew I would need another good round. The pressure definitely built a little as I came to the last few holes and was in a position to win. Fortunately, I was able to birdie 17 and 18 which put me over the hump. Overall, it was a lot of fun and a great experience.”
In order to continuing excelling in his athletic career, Halleron spends six to seven days a week during the summer practicing/playing golf while also working with his swing coach, Pat Coyner, a few days a week.
“We’ve been working together for about four years,” Halleron says. “He’s really good at what he does and he’s been a huge part in my development over the last few years.”
During the high school season, he’ll practice five days a week after school. While Halleron spends most of his free time involved with golf, he admits that academics come first.
“School work and my grades come before golf,” Halleron admits. “I’m taking honors math this year and made honor roll the first quarter of my sophomore year.”
Entering into his sophomore season, Halleron would like to capture another Boy’s Latin team conference championship and work on his swing to prepare for a full schedule come spring.
And although he still has two years left at the high school level, Halleron has his eyes set on competing at the highest collegiate level possible and potentially reaching a professional level in the future.
“The coaches really start to pay attention to high school golfers the summer after their sophomore year,” Halleron explains. “I will have to see how I do in the junior tournaments in 2018. As far as going pro, that would be really great, but I know it’s really, really hard to get to any professional level. Right now, I just want to try and get the best education I can while playing golf.”
Even though the high school season kicks off in the spring, Halleron continues to compete competitively throughout the year through American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments.
“I would definitely encourage any young boy or girl to take up golf because it’s a sport you can play for the rest of your life,” Halleron says. “It’s a frustrating game, especially while you’re learning to play. There are more bad days in golf than the good ones, but the good ones make it worth it.”
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