As the “Big Bears” take their final putt, They can thank each other for their shared success in Norwalk High Athletics. Noah Lawence and Captain Austin Minoff have known each other since building with blocks back in the original Cranbury Elementary School. Austin asked Noah to try golf and Noah gave it a try and with his first tee shot he fell in love with the sport. Austin says, “It’s definitely really fun to see him get into golf and then see his progress from freshman year to now.” Noah later convinced Austin to play lacrosse and Austin gave it a go. Austin then became a three sport athlete while also playing hockey.
Noah is looking to grow as a golfer. He thinks as a team they bonded and had a great time but he thinks that he could have better consistency with his play week to week. “I would say thank you to Gigs for making the seasons fun and keeping the team close together which created good memories.”
Sam Cukrovany is a three sport athlete, playing golf, lacrosse, and basketball at Norwalk High “My relationship with the other seniors is really good as I play other sports like lacrosse with them as well.” Noah and Austin met Sam in middle school at West Rocks. Austin and Sam have connected as teammates and have really started to bond over the last year. Becoming such good friends made for a great trio and they will team up again on the lacrosse field in the spring.
Golf went really well for Sam this year. He feels that he has learned a lot and has taken a lot away from the season. Sam applies the sportsmanship skills he has learned to the other sports he plays. He is proud of his accomplishments over the last two years. Sam was on the practice squad last year. This year he was able to tee off in a match as part of the team. “I would like to thank Gigs for introducing me into the sport.”
Looking back on the season, Austin says “My personal performance was definitely a little disappointing for me but placing well in FCIAC’s made up for that. As a team we weren’t expected to win so we really took advantage of playing at a bunch of nice courses while playing with our friends. We had a very close team and definitely made a lot of memories and became closer with friends.” Some memories that Austin will cherish are all the times they got to play on very nice courses and golfing everyday with some of his closest friends.
Austin would like to thank Coach Giggs for being a great mentor on and off the course. “He’s always been someone I can talk to and that’s definitely helped me throughout my four years knowing him. In terms of golf, Gigs has always been supporting not just me but everyone on the team. Whether you have a bad round or a good round he will make sure you had a good time out there.”
The three seniors’ main goal was to mentor the underclassmen to make them better golfers. As an addition to the varsity team, there is a sophomore Colin Cain who played most of the year with Austin as the number two. Colin says “The seniors have great sportsmanship and have taught me a lot over the last year.” The seniors taught Colin how to keep calm and move on after a bad shot. He thinks that the season wasn’t great and that they could have done better but still had a great time out there on the course.
Gigs bragged that the senior players had an incredibly positive impact on the team this season. “Their leadership both on and off the field set a strong example for younger teammates, fostering a culture of hard work and dedication. The seniors consistently stepped up in critical moments, boosting team morale and confidence. Their experience and guidance helped elevate the overall performance, creating a tighter, more united group. We’re truly grateful for their commitment and the lasting legacy they leave behind.”
