Matthew Bodnar
Staff Reporter
Each year, the McDaniel men’s golf team puts the goal of winning championships at the forefront of its goals for the season. The hours spent on the driving range and putting green point these golfers in the direction of the championships they covet most. In addition to the personal desire shown by each golfer, the schedule Coach Moyer puts together each year truly prepares McDaniel for the arduous task of winning the Conference Championship.
Thus far this season, McDaniel has played in four tournaments, two of which were against Division II teams and one against Division I opponents. Coach Moyer describes his decision to play in these tournaments as his team’s desire to “play up.” Coach Moyer believes this difficult schedule best prepares his golfers to compete in Conference play. McDaniel has certainly more than held its own against the higher levels of competition. In its first tournament, the Wilmington Invitational, McDaniel finished third out of eleven Division II schools. This tournament provided our golfers on the Hill with momentum and confidence that has helped carry them so far this season. In each succeeding tournament, McDaniel has finished in the top ten, while mixing in a few top five finishes.
The success of the team as a whole does not diminish the excellent play of junior KJ Mazurek. Coach Moyer noted KJ’s performance in the Vulcan Invitational as a season highlight and one of the most impressive he has seen. In this tournament, KJ finished second overall against all Division II players, most of whom attend school with scholarships in their pockets. Mazurek shot one over par, while finishing with the best two round score of his career and finishing ahead of the Division II champion from last year. The performance of he and the other golfers on the team is a testament to the high quality of golf that exists on the Hill, all put together by Coach Moyer without the assistance of scholarships and Division I or II prestige.
The McDaniel golf team finishes its fall season with two more tournaments, the Gettysburg Fall Invitational and the Wilmington Shootout. The Wilmington Shootout is another Division II tournament that will continue to prepare our golfers, as they take on the some of the best in the upper levels of golf. On the upcoming tournaments, Coach Moyer explained, “Our goal is to finish in the top three or four, while getting better every week.” The schedule, combined with the effort of the golfers and the leadership of Coach Moyer, create a winning atmosphere that seems to be contagious. McDaniel has experienced success against even the upper levels of golf; the experience gained during these events will no doubt serve the team well during the spring season. Coach Moyer begins each season with the belief McDaniel golf is about “winning championships, not tournaments.” The results this year certainly echo that idea and set the bar high for the upcoming conference season this spring.
