Kennedy Swedick

Kennedy Swedick graduated as one of The Albany Academies’ most decorated golfers in school history. In 2024, she won her third straight state championship as the perfect end to a high school career that Swedick spent working on her own game while also growing girls’ golf across the state of New York.

Swedick was the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s 2022, 2023, and 2024 high school state champion, helping her team to the team titles as well. She also won the New York State 2022 amateur championship. She is a three-time Albany Times Union prep golfer of the year for that region. Her high school team has won four consecutive Section 2 team titles.

This past fall, Swedick won the AJGA’s Golf Performance Center Junior, was fifth at 2023 AJGA Girls Invitational and placed 15th in AJGA Invitational presented by PING. She tied for ninth at the 2023 U.S. Girls Junior Championship and was the medalist at the 96th Women’s Western Junior Championship. She is a 2023 AJGA Rolex Scholastic Junior All-America selection.

On top of all these accomplishments, Swedick also graduated as her class salutatorian. She finished with a 4.24 GPA and is set to attend the University of Virginia in the fall, where she was selected to be an Echols Scholar, an honor given to only 5% of the incoming class.

“I’m just so blessed all the support and to have a great support team,” Swedick said. “The Albany academies were just so incredible. I got so much support from my teachers.”

“Kennedy always gives 100% here at the Academy, both as a student and as an athlete,”  said The Albany Academies athletic director Paul Gallucci. “Her time and effort that she has put in on the field, course, weight room, and classroom have proven to be very successful.”

It took that 100% mindset for Swedick to even have the opportunity to play for a state championship. When she was in seventh grade, her first year competing as a scholastic golfer, Swedick had to play on the boys team since there was no section 2 girls golf team. In fact, the NYSPHSAA did not sponsor a girls golf championship until 2006 and did not crown a team champion until 2018.

In contrast, The Albany Academies sent three more golfers along with Swedick to the state championship as part of the section 2 team. Swedick says this growth is the result of a team effort.

“I was blessed to be surrounded by some amazing people,” she said. “We worked hard to get girls golf to where it is today. I’m forever grateful for how much it’s grown.”

Swedick’s stellar career started when she was eight years old. “My mom signed me up for a summer golf camp at my school,” she said. “I fell in love with it. When I hit the ball for the first time, I realized I could picture myself doing this forever.”

While competing and winning at the highest level, Swedick also spent her time helping other girls in her area learn to love golf as much as she does. She volunteers with the Special Olympics golf events in her area along Camp Abilities Saratoga where she worked with vision impaired youth golfers.

“The game has done so much for me and given me so many opportunities,” she said. “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to be the ambassador, I’m so blessed.”

Swedick also has volunteered with Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, a World War II association the supports veterans who served. It’s a cause that’s close to her heart as her own Great-Grandfather was killed in action in the Battle.

Whether it’s on the golf course or in the community, it’s clear to those around her that she has a gift for helping others participate in the activities they love, especially if that includes golf.

“Kennedy has always been a hard worker and a great leader,” Gallucci said.

“I am honored and feel deeply privileged to be the recipient of this incredible award and to be recognized with so many other talented women,” Swedick said. “It is a testament to the unwavering support and guidance I have been blessed to receive over the years. This award means the world to me because I’m able to represent the Capital Region that has given me so much. I am so thankful for the recognition, and I can only hope that my story inspires others to work hard for their dreams.”