#BigSkyGolf Q&A w/ Hartford's Elias Gross
Elias Gross is a junior on the Hartford men's golf team. A native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., he is majoring in Entrepreneurial Studies.
What made you decide to choose Hartford to further your education and play golf?
I chose Hartford because of the team chemistry, Coach Stankevich, and the Barney School of Business.
What’s been one of your favorite memories so far while playing collegiate golf?
My favorite memories are all the great matches we play against each other as a team and the time spent in the van joking around with the team.
What’s been the biggest struggle when it comes to being a student-athlete?
The biggest struggle was learning how to prioritize and understanding how effort needs to be put into all aspects of college life. I treated freshman year like high school and learned quickly that to enjoy the full student-athlete experience, nothing can be neglected.
What’s your favorite part of the course? The front nine or the back nine, and why?
I like the back 9 of the course the most because there is a feeling of excitement and pressure that comes with trying to finish out a good round.
What advice do you have for anyone wishing to pursue sports in college?
Don't get caught up by big-name schools or worry about rankings, find a good mix of athletics, academics, and the right social scene and grow from there. Also, find a coach who you like and respect, you will be spending four years reporting to that person.
Favorite actor: Clint Eastwood
Favorite golfer: Kevin Na
Favorite midnight snack: Tollhouse Cookies
Favorite ice cream: Ben & Jerry's Phish food
Funniest teammate: Jared Winiarz, king of the dad joke
Previous #BigSkyGolf Men's Q&As
Binghamton, Justin Lane
Sacramento State, Landon Azevedo