March 28, 2024

Hartsock joins Groumoutis as SWCC golf signee

A second golfer with state championship experience from Creston has joined the 2015-16 Southwestern Community College golf team and coach Larry Shimono.

Sam Hartsock, a multi-sport athlete at Creston High School, signed with Southwestern last week. Hartsock joins Panther teammate Christian Groumoutis, who signed with the Spartans earlier in March.

Originally, Hartsock planned on attending Iowa State University next year. While planning a major in either a business/finance or medical field, the Creston senior said he decided to extend his golfing career while starting his education at SWCC next fall.

“I thought it would be better for myself and I wanted to develop my golf game another year,” Hartsock said. “I enjoy playing competitive golf.”

Having a high school teammate from two state tournament appearances, including a state championship in 2013, makes it that much better, he said.

“It will be really nice having Christian around,” Hartsock said. “We’ve always been golf buddies and played together. We’re looking to put SWCC golf on that national level.”

It’s also a proud moment for Panther coach Jan Lesan, who will have four collegiate golfers from the program when Groumoutis and Hartsock join Kirkwood’s Carson Whittington and Central College’s Hunter Sickels in extending their careers. Also, former state tournament golfer Ryan Palser is a former member of the Kirkwood Community College golf team.

“It will be exciting to have Sam Hartsock and Christian Groumoutis stay in Creston to continue their education and golf careers at SWCC,” Lesan said. “These two young men live on the golf course and to continue their golf careers is only right.”

There’s an added benefit to SWCC having Crestmoor Golf Club as its practice course, Lesan noted.

“With Sam and Christian sharing Crestmoor for practice, the Creston/O-M golf team will continue to benefit from their expertise and knowledge of the game,” Lesan said. “Plus, it gives the high school team a chance to continue to support their former players. The camaraderie demonstrated by dedicated golfers like Hunter, Carson, Sam and Christian have set high standards for the golf team for years.”

“To have four guys playing in college says a lot for everything coach Lesan has done and the tradition we have built at Creston High School,” Hartsock said.

In high school, Hartsock was a four-year letterwinner in golf, two years in basketball and three years in football. His high school golf team was state champion in 2013 and state runner-up in 2014.

Academically, Hartsock has been on the honor roll all four years of high school, is in the top 10 percent of his class and attended the National Youth Leadership Conference. He is the son of Thomas and Wendy Hartsock of Creston.