Bowling Green’s men’s and women’s golf teams competed at their first meets of the season over Spring Break.
The men’s team traveled to Ocala, Fla., for the Big Red Classic, where it placed third in a field of 16 teams with a three-round combined score of 875, behind Lamar University and Michigan State. BG finished ahead of five Mid-American Conference schools, including Marshall, Ohio and Ball State.
Senior Brian Gerken finished the meet in fifth place with a three-round score of 216. Gerken shot a 70 in his first round, a 72 in the second round, and a 74 in the third round. The next highest finisher for the Falcons was junior Adam Balls in 10th place with a score of 218.
Other Falcon golfers who contributed to the team’s third place finish were freshman Craig Pickerel with a 222, senior Justin Gillham with a 226, freshman Austin Chase with a 232, and junior Andy Miller, who shot a 232.
“I think the team played really well considering that was our first time playing after a lengthy layoff in the winter,” said men’s coach Garry Winger. “I have great expectations for the team this spring. I’ve got an experienced team, and they’ve grown over the last couple of years.”
Winger talked about whom he expects to play consistently and lead the team this season. “Justin Gillham, who is a fifth-year senior and has a vast amount of experience. He’s been with me for four years. I think he’s going to step up and lead this team.”
The Falcon men will travel to Tanglewood, Texas, for the Pepsi Intercollegiate from March 22 through 24.
The women’s team placed 10th out of 22 teams at the Snowbird Intercollegiate in Tampa, Fla., last weekend with a combined 36-hole score of 652.
Junior Shelley Binzel was the top individual for the Falcon squad. Binzel finished tied for seventh overall with a two-round score of 152. Binzel shot a 75 on the first day and a 77 on the second day of competition.
“Everybody’s looking forward to a really successful spring,” Binzel said. “We’ve all been working really hard. I think we look the best we’ve ever looked coming out of the off-season.”
Other Falcon golfers who contributed to the team’s effort included sophomore Jenny Schnipke, who shot a 157, Shannon Smith with a 172, Stephanie Elsea with a 174, and Julie Wise with a two round score of 177.
After a rebuilding fall season, Binzel hopes the team can put together its best rounds of golf at the same time. “We’d have people that would play well one day, but we were struggling to get everyone to play well on the same day,” she said.
Women’s coach Kurt Thomas commented on his team’s early-season performance. “I was happy with the way we finished. We had a couple of good scores. Coming off of the winter break, I think we’ve set ourselves up for a good spring. We’ve set ourselves up for a good finish in the MAC.”
The next meet for the Bowling Green women is slated for April 7 and 8 at the Western Michigan Invitational in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
