The spring golf season arrives with plenty of optimism for the Wittenberg Tigers. The men’s and women’s teams, under the direction of Head Coach Jeff Roope, enjoyed tremendous success in the fall portion of the 2014-15 season, highlighted by three first-place finishes for the men (Wittenberg, Transylvania and Kenyon) and a trio of championship trophies for the women at Denison, St. Mary’s and Wooster.
To hone their games in the offseason, several Tigers spent the Winter Break in competition. While many Tigers traveled to courses around the nation, seniors Alex Andrews (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) and John Chaney (Gates Mills, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) provided the highlight of the offseason by teeing it up in the prestigious Patriot All-America Invitational, marking the third consecutive year Wittenberg was represented.
It all adds up to a promising second half to the 2014-15 season, which kicked off with the TaylorMade-adidas Intercollegiate in Beaufort, SC. Wittenberg’s men placed second in a loaded 13-team field, while the women claimed the top spot out of seven teams.
The Tiger men enter the spring campaign ranked eighth nationally as they shoot for their sixth straight North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) title and NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Wittenberg is experienced and deep, with all 10 players compiling a stroke average of 80 or better through the end of the fall season.
Andrews and Chaney will again lead the charge. The former high school teammates both have an All-America award on their resume, and Andrews showed that form again in the fall with four top-10 finishes and a stroke average of 72.83 that ranks in the top 20 nationally. Chaney averaged 74.67 strokes and recorded a pair of top 10s.
Junior Sam Geise (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) and senior Jared Wissinger (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) also return with plenty of collegiate experience and accolades to their credit. Sophomores Sam Stilwell (Dominion, Va./Sterling), Mark David Wright (Westerville, Ohio/Tree of Life) and Garrett Brickley (Pickerington, Ohio/North), junior JP Holliday (Calgary, Alberta/Central Memorial) and freshmen Brennan Whitis (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) and Maxim Boone (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) provide plenty of competition as well.
The Tiger women feature a similar mix of talent and experience, led freshman Jane Hopkinson-Wood (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School), who was outstanding in her five fall events as she compiled two medalist performances and top-10 finishes in every event. She enters the spring season ranked in the 11th nationally in stroke average.
Senior Nicole Waers (Canton, Ohio/Perry) and junior Allie Lawwill (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown) both have a tremendous track of collegiate success, and both were All-NCAC honorees in 2014. Sophomore Macy Hubbard (Mason, Ohio/Mason), junior Maggie Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and senior Carolyn Wong (Naperville, Ill./Central) round out the team’s top six in scoring average at the conclusion of the fall season.
Also in the mix for the Tiger women are senior Rachel Steiner (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota West), who continues to battle back from injuries that cost her much of the last two seasons, senior Savannah Fox (Massillon, Ohio/Perry) and freshman Brianna Yee (Las Vegas, Nev./Faith Lutheran).
Written By: Ryan Maurer