By Ken Hansard
Hutchinson Central Christian has made golfing a family affair. With two sets of outstanding brothers, the Cougars look primed to challenge for a state title this spring, just as they have the past few years, and senior Nathan Reed, along with freshman brother Tyler and brothers Ryland and Cael Koolman, is ready to lead the charge.
Nathan, who was a member of the Cougars 2022 state championship team and last season’s runners-up says, “I see myself as a quiet leader. Especially when I played football, people respected my work ethic and how I controlled myself under pressure. My role is to be the anchor for the golf team. I’m a four-year varsity player, so it falls on me to teach the younger players.”
Golf is a sport that may be even tougher mentally than it is physically. Knowing this, Reed worked hard in the off-season to tweak his swing and shore up his mental approach, “Golf is about self-discipline. It’s tough to play with a negative mindset, so while I revamped my swing this offseason, I also changed how I approached certain shots.”
That discipline appears to have paid dividends, and the Cougars look well-positioned to make a post-season run, “Our team record last year was 317. We’ve already shot 310 twice this year.”
Reed also played football for the Cougars, was a Stuco member, and participated in choir.
Reed, who carries a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. and scored an impressive 35 on the ACT, has been named a National Merit Finalist and Scholarship recipient. He also captained the 2024 State Champion Scholars Bowl team. Next fall he plans to attend the University of Tulsa on a full-ride scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
