Experienced Malvern golf team looks to climb IVC standings
This year’s Malvern golf team includes coach Shelby Combs, left, Ayden Pelle, Tyler Pelle, Ian Cobb, Cam Good, Parker Bowe, Cooper Kiehl, Kami Rayborn and head coach Lance Gram.
Thomas Clapper
The Malvern golf team may be getting a bit longer in the tooth, but that’s a good thing.
The Hornets bid farewell to just one graduating golfer – Lauren Brown – while returning their other five letter winners, meaning they just may not be the youngest team on the course come tournament time this season.
At last year’s Division III East District sectional golf tournament held at Cambridge Country Club, the Hornets easily had the youngest squad of the 16 competing schools, fielding juniorCam Good, sophomores Cooper Kiehl and Tyler Pelle, and freshman Ayden Pelle. With senior Lauren Brown and junior Kami Rayborn competing in the girls’ tourney, Malvern had zero room for error with only four golfers. The Hornets finished sixth, however, and advanced to districts.Now they’re back, a year older and with scads of experience under their collective belt.
This crew has some serious bona fides. Rayborn qualified for districts individually and was also named to the East District first team, while Good earned honorable mention accolades in both the IVC and the Eastern District. Ninth-year coach Lance Gram will look to these two seniors to set an example on the links, and foresees a classmate potentially making a splash.
“Cameron Good and Kami Rayborn will be asked to provide leadership and solid play as both bring a wealth of experience,” he said. “Their senior running mate Ian Cobb has drastically improved and looks to make his way into the top six golfers.”
The Hornets’ three returning underclassmen are nearly as impressive. They’re led by Kiehl, whowas named second team in both the Inter-Valley Conference and East District.
“Kiehl will be one of the top golfers in the IVC and Tyler has had a great summer,” said Gram.“And Ayden Pelle looks to improve on a stellar freshman campaign as he has had an excellent summer logging a bunch of hours on the golf course.”
So the Hornets, while still young, are older and wiser. But they also got quite a bit stronger, as well.
Enter junior Parker Bowe, he of the second- and third-place finishes at the Division III state track meet in the shot put and discus as a sophomore. According to Gram, the track and field phenom “has turned a few heads and shown he can post solid scores.”
Add it all up and look for the Hornets to improve on 2024’s 7-6 showing in the IVC, which was good for sixth place.
“As always, the IVC will provide a tough schedule, but with a bunch of returning talent, Malvern hopes to be a top tier team in the league,” said Gram.
