Local Golfer Leads Lancers
The 2006 Malden Catholic Golf Team. Senior Captain Rick Giovino, then a junior, is the last one on the right in the back row. Photo courtesy Malden Catholic.
The following profile was submitted for publication by Robert Emmett Skerry, Jr., Medford School Committee member, former local sports journalist, and uncle to Rick Giovino.
The fall high school golf season has reached the home stretch and the Malden Catholic Lancers are pursuing their second state tournament bid in the last three years.
The Lancers finished fourteenth in the state in 2005 and are hoping to earn a spot in this year’s tournament. Currently, Malden Catholic has six wins and seven losses and needs three wins in their remaining five matches to earn an invitation to the state tournament.
This year’s Lancer team is led by senior captain Rick Giovino. With a current average of 37.3, the Medford native has the best average score per round on the Malden Catholic team and one of the top averages in the very competitive Catholic Conference.
Giovino has played golf for four years at Malden Catholic, playing on the junior varsity team as a freshman, and, for the last three years, has been a member of the varsity team.
Last season the golf team struggled and did not make the state tournament. Giovino led the Lancers with the lowest handicap on the team and also tied the school record when he shot a one-under par 34 at Mt. Hood Golf Club, Malden Catholic’s home course. At the conclusion of last season, Giovino was honored by being named a 2006 Catholic Conference Golf All-Star.
Over this past summer, Giovino worked very hard on all facets of his golf game. For the second consecutive year, Giovino played on the New England PGA (NEPGA) Titleist Junior Tour. He played in five tournaments and finished in the top five in each event, winning the NEPGA tournament played at Mt. Hood.
Giovino also qualified for and played in the Massachusetts Golf Association Junior Championship and won his qualifier for the North Shore Amateur Championship, but due to a schedule conflict, was unable to compete for that title.
This season has been Giovino’s best. He has played in the Lancers’ number one position all season, leading the team in scoring every match.
Giovino has played good, consistent golf and has shot under 40 in all but one match this year. That achievement should be good enough to qualify for the individual state tournament, should the Lancers fail to make it as a team. This year Giovino had his best finish, fourth place, at the 2007 Catholic Conference Tournament.
Away from the course, Giovino has been involved in several other school activities. He has played basketball for four years at Malden Catholic and baseball as a freshman and sophomore. Giovino is a member of the National Honor Society and Lancers-in-Action, a student-run organization that focuses on improving several aspects of school life, including community, spirit, and service. He writes for Crystal 99, the school newspaper and is involved with several other school clubs, activities, and events.
Giovino plans on studying business and management in college next fall and also hopes to have the opportunity to continue to play competitive golf at the collegiate level.