Andrean freshman Brendan Mulshine's even-keeled demeanor on the golf course suggests maturity beyond his 15 years of age.
Picking up the game of golf shortly after he could walk certainly didn't hinder his development in that regard.
"I would go out with my dad and I'd try to mirror his swing because I'm lefty and he's righty," said Mulshine, who first started golfing when he was just 2 years old.
Those days of following his dad around the course as a toddler have paid off. Mulshine won medalist honors at last Thursday's Northwest Crossroads Conference meet, shooting a 76 to help Andrean finish second with 333 strokes.
"My teammates have really helped push me," Mulshine said. "It was good, but I would have rather had a team title than (an) individual (one).
"I felt good early. I was playing well, but I just tried to hold it together on the back (nine)."
Mulshine, a Chesterton resident, has been involved with the Northwest Indiana Junior Golf Association since he was 7. He insists he wouldn't be where he is today without getting into golfing competitively at an early age.
"I like playing competitive rounds, so I think it's really helped me mature," Mulshine said. "It's really helped me make smarter decisions on the course."
Andrean coach Dennis Pokropinski said Mulshine was already a talented golfer before beginning high school. However, the amount of success the freshman has had is simply icing on the cake. Fellow freshman Jack Musgrave has also gone above and beyond development expectations this year.
"I think he's ahead of schedule from what you would expect," Pokropinski said of Mulshine "I'm pretty excited that both freshmen have progressed beyond my expectations. It's been great."
Much of Mulshine's success this season has resulted from a solid short game. Having a putting green in his backyard -- which allows him to practice unless it's covered by snow -- has definitely helped in that respect.
Now, Mulshine will lead the 59ers into the Boone Grove Sectional, where they will be underdogs to the host school and Crown Point.
Should the 59ers place in the top three and advance to the LaPorte Regional, it will be another feather in the cap for Mulshine in an already successful first season.
"I like having competition and I love all my teammates," Mulshine said. "I just hope we can all still play well together."
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