Knights junior off to solid start
By Michael Stern, Special Writer
Trevor Warner has been in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District for 16 years. He coached baseball for 10 years and is currently entering his fifth season as the boys golf coach at WW-P North.
Warner prepared his team as well as he could for this season, but he feared that the nine practice holes per day may not have been enough preparation.
”Initially, I thought we were going to have to work very hard for what we were going to get this season,” Warner said. “We always want to accomplish our goals and I thought it may be tough this season and we had to work really hard.”
So far, however, Warner has been slightly surprised with the results he has received from his team.
”I have been pleasantly surprised with what our scores were in our first match,” said Warner, whose team opened with a win over Trenton. “They were a lot lower than what I thought they were gonna be at this point in the season so I’m very optimistic about where this season can go.”
In the match against Trenton, Charles Cai shot a team-low 37 and Ryan Siegler shot a 39.
Warner and his team set a goal before the Trenton match, which they eventually accomplished.
”I decided that an overall team score under 210 would be a pretty solid accomplishment,” Warner said. “We shot a 203 in our first match so seven strokes better than what our goal was, was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised.”
Warner believes there are definitely a few leaders on this team that help guide the golfers through tough matches.
”Without a doubt the leaders are Charles Cai and Ryan Siegler,” Warner said. “They’re juniors and have been playing on the varsity squad very well since their freshman year.”
Warner is slightly in awe of the two leaders.
”They’re high caliber players,” says Warner, “They score very well and they have a lot of experience.”
Warner knows Cai and Siegler prepare well outside of team matches and practices.
”They play in outside tournaments,” Warner explained “They have been there and done that and are very qualified to lead this team.”
In his career as the boys golf coach, one recent event really stands out in his mind. In 2010, one of his golfers went to the state championship and Warner will remember that through his whole coaching life.
”One of my favorite memories was Charles Cai winning Group III states last year,” Warner said “He was only a sophomore and to have an underclassman accomplish the feat was extremely memorable.”
Warner doesn’t want to make any predictions about how Cai will do this year quite yet.
”It’s very hard to say whether or not Charles will make the state tournament again,” Warner said. “The potential is there, I think. Any time you look at what somebody did in the past, and then try to see if they can equal or better that, you really are in a gray area.”
Warner thinks Cai’s focus is in the right place this season.
”I think in his mind he is driven by the chance to repeat his last year’s accomplishments,” Warner explained. “He knows there are a lot of good golfers out there, but I know if he stays focused he can go places.”
Warner saw something special in Cai from the moment he stepped foot on the Mercer Oaks Golf Course.
”He was very well schooled in the game,” Warner said. “Obviously he has put in a lot of time and energy and he was obviously committed to the game so there wasn’t much more I had to correct.”
Warner has trouble giving Cai advice because of the golfer’s personality.
”Charles is very humble and he is very even keeled,” says Warner. “He’s the kind of guy that you don’t really have to say much to.”
One of the great things about Cai is his ability to not dwell on his mistakes.
”He doesn’t get rattled easily,” Warner said. “If things don’t go his way, the few times that they don’t, he has the ability to stay focused and stay on task. It’s sort of like he is able to have amnesia or short term memory.”
Warner says he doesn’t want to jinx anything in Cai’s career, but he would not be surprised to see the young man go onto bigger and better things.
”Nothing would be a surprise,” Warner said. “Not the Ryder Cup or the PGA tour. That is, however, a long, long way off. He needs to pick a good golfing school and keep his focus and then who knows? Maybe he is the next Tiger Woods.”
So maybe it is a little too soon to say Charles Cai will be the next huge star in the PGA, but one thing is for certain — Charles Cai, Ryan Siegler, Trevor Warner, and their whole golf team has some great chemistry and should do very well this year.