Maxx Rimdzius, a senior at Corry Area High School, recently made the whole town of Corry proud with his sixth-place finish at the PIAA State Golf Championship. Rimdzius is very studious when it comes to school and is on the golf team, plays varsity baseball, and is a part of National Honors Society.

When asked about how he got into golfing, Rimdzius replied, “I started golfing when I was a 12-year-old. It was my last season of little league baseball, and I decided it was a good time to pick up another sport…” He continued, “My parents got me a used set of golf clubs, and I just started playing every once in a while… I really got into it going into my freshman year of high school.”

Rimdzius had a lot to say about the people who have contributed to his success.

“Of course Coach Laird has been huge. He has really guided me through my freshman to senior year,” Rimdzius said.  “He has really helped me improve mentally as a golfer, and now I can compete with the best in the state.” He continued by talking about his parents: “My parents are super helpful. They’ve let me play at some amazing courses, they let me do as much as any golfer can.”

Emotions are always very hard to control when you are competitive, and Rimdzius is no exception.

“Emotions are always really nervy when you go to states,” Rimdzius said. “At region matches, you know all the kids, and it’s not as challenging as going to a course in York that you have only been to once before. You’re playing with kids who could win the tournament, and it’s really nerve-wracking. You have to control your emotions.”

Rimdzius is no stranger to competing with the best in the state, and he reflected on and compared his two trips.

“The first time I went, it was all very new because I had never made it past the first day of the district tournament, so this was all new to me, even going to the second day,” Rimdzius said. “It was very cool for me as a junior to go, and have that background knowledge for this year.”

Rimdzius wasn’t the only Corry golfer to take the trip to states this year. His good friend Nathan James accompanied him to York. Rimdzius reflected on the experience with his friend.

“Nate and I have been buddies since my sophomore year,” Rimdzius said. “We’ve played golf together for the past three summers and have become very good friends. I think it was a good experience for him to go last year, walk the course with me, and play with me in the practice round. That certainly helped him this year. He qualified in the same way I did last year, in a playoff. It was a good experience for both of us to play together at States, and we are also the first pair of Corry golfers to qualify for states.”

Preparing for the future is a very important process for high school students, and Rimdzius is certainly exploring his options.

“I plan on going to college, and hopefully play golf,” Rimdzius said. “I haven’t talked to too many coaches yet , but Coach Laird and I have spoken about talking to coaches…so I think I’m going to get in contact with some colleges around Pittsburgh. One college I’m mainly looking at is Carnegie Mellon. They have a great engineering program, so that’s a big one I want to go to.”

When you play a sport for years, you develop a love for the game, and a bond with your teammates. This is certainly the case for Rimdzius.

“Starting out as a freshman, it was really nerve-wracking,” Rimdzius said. “I was playing with a bunch of people I don’t know, and the coach doesn’t know me that well yet. But over the years, you start to grow, and you start to know your teammates more, and it was a really good experience.”

Since Rimdzius enjoyed his experience so much, he suggests the golf team to any student who may want to play the sport.

“So if you have any extra time, go out and golf,” Rimdzius said. “Try it first, and if you enjoy it, I would not hesitate playing for the golf team. It’s not a big time commitment, and if you aren’t part of the top four or five guys, then you can just go and experience playing with other kids. If you do make the top five, then you can really enjoy playing against other players. Over four years of golf, it’s a really cool bond you create with your teammates and coaches… It’s really awesome. “