Through the season, Skyline Men’s Golf pushed themselves in hopes of winning a State Championship. With the help of one of the Captains, Jackson Shelley, they were able to bring home a trophy. The boys practiced everyday; they worked mentally and physically, pushing themselves, pushing towards State. They were confident going into the tournament, Coach James said, “I expect us to be in the mix for the state championship […] and ultimately win the state championship this year if we can perform.” In the last season, Skyline High School lost their streak against their rival school, Olympus. Their loss was due to lack of performance from the boys, indicated Coach James. This year, they have received a new variety of players on the roster. Coach James said, “We have depth over these other teams [in the region]”
As the men’s golf team pushed towards state, Coach James saw an increase in Senior leadership. He said, “Strong Senior leadership, very motivated to win, including Jackson Shelley, Jake Dubri, and Jackson Morgan.” Especially coming back from last year’s season, where they lost in State, and where Shelley believes that he didn’t play to his best ability, motivating him to improve and push this team to be the strongest version of themselves. Coach James said “I hope they watch [Jackson Shelleys leadership] and feed from it.” Not only is Jackson Shelley a hard worker, but he is considered one of the best golfers in his class of 2025. This has transferred to his commitment to play golf at BYU. In regards to Shelley, Coach Kenny, he said, “He can do anything with a golf club in his hand […] he can hit very difficult shots, he makes easy shots look easier, makes hard shots look easy, he can hit distance, has amazing touch, also has a knack of making big and important shots.” Even though Shelley has been able to experience so much excitement on the golf course, it hasn’t always been easy. Like any sport, golf requires discipline and a good work ethic. Golfers have to always be mentally prepared to step up and do the work. Shelley said, “Golf is a hard sport; we are out there alone.” He finds it important to find a team that supports each other and has the drive to succeed.
Jackson had the opportunity to be recruited by a lot of different schools, including Texas A&M, Arizona, Utah, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He took recruiting visits, toured campus facilities, attended games, and experienced campus culture. Even though it was one of the hardest decisions he has had to make, he ultimately chose BYU. Shelley explained, “I just felt BYU was the best overall fit for me […] in my first year I will get the opportunity to play with my older brother, Tyson, who graduated from Skyline in 2021.” As he explores this new opportunity and grows his career as a golfer in the near future, Skyline Men’s Golf will always leave a divot in his life. Shelley said, “It’s fun: great friends, challenging, and nothing better than making birdies and shooting low scores.”
