SEAFORD, Del. — Sophomore Quinten Joiner is 2-for-2 after two golf matches, leading Kent County High School to its best scores since the program was relaunched in 2023.
In the most recent match, Sept.9 at Hoopers Landing Golf Course in Seaford, KCHS totaled 197 strokes — breaking 200 for the second time in a week.
Joiner carded a 35 to win medalist honors, five strokes better than his nearest challengers, Josh David and Paulmer Cato of Kent Island.
Kent Island had the lowest team score, 166.
Queen Anne’s, led by George Cook (41) and Sam Yetman (43), placed second in the team scoring with 180.
Easton edged North Caroline for third, 184-189.
KCHS was the only other school to break 200.
The rest of the field included St. Michaels (204), Colonel Richardson (222), host North Dorchester (227) and Cambridge-South Dorchester (238).
You need four golfers to score as a team. Kent’s scorers were Joiner, Braden Wilson (51), Tucker Ervin (55) and Barrett Gruszynski (56).
Kent County opened the season Sept. 4 at Prospect Bay, where again Joiner was under par and the medalist with a 38.
He was one stroke better than Queen Anne’s Yetman and two strokes better than Kent Island’s David.
The Trojans’ composite tally was 198 with scoring from Joiner, Wilson (52), Gruszynski (53) and Ervin (55)
Joiner and three other sophomores — Gruszynski, Brexton Usilton and Jimmy Walters — return for a second year for the Trojans.
Also back are junior Ervin and senior Wilson.
Senior Lawrence Peach and Aleksandre Kukhianidze, an exchange student from Georgia where golf is not available, are the newcomers.
Expectations are high for Joiner, and understandably so.
He placed sixth in the Class 1/2A state tournament last year as one of only three freshmen among 41 golfers to make the cut for the final round.
Also, his 9-hole stroke average of 37.11 was second best in the North division of the Bayside Conference.
The Trojans have been practicing since Aug. 13, Monday through Thursday when there aren’t matches. Practices are twice a week at Chester River Yacht & Country Club, one day on the driving range and one day on the course.
“It has been a great start to the year and I’m excited about our possibilities this year because we are way ahead of where we were last year,” coach Jonathan Fitch, now in his third year, told The Evening Enterprise in an email.
