2006 Season Preview
Alma College men’s golf enters the 2006 season after a fourth place finish in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association a year ago, jumping two places from its finish in 2004. The fall 2005 season saw sophomore Evan Kay (Alberta, Canada) finish 10th in the MIAA standings, earning second team All-MIAA honors. With eight letterwinners returning and the loss of two players to graduation, Alma looks to move into the upper tier of the MIAA in 2006.Led by head coach Mark Starkweather in his 9th year with the Alma College men’s golf program, he has pushed the Scots to the top tier of competition within the conference level and expanded playing opportunities into the spring season for the Maroon and Cream. This season, the Scots welcome assistant coach and former player Dave Burkart to the staff. Burkart transferred to Alma in the winter of 2003 and was a team co-captain last year prior to exhausting his NCAA eligibility.
“I was very pleased with the move we made in the MIAA last season and I’m more than confident that we have the right players to build on last year’s success and move up in the final MIAA standings this season,” Starkweather said.
Starkweather depends on senior leaders and co-captains Chris Lowry (Clinton Twp./Dakota) and Steve Sanchez (Alma) for the 2006 campaign. The co-captains help to organize and plan practices while coordinating team-building and leadership activities. Lowry has the ability to analyze his game and make real-time adjustments in competition and is savvy enough to help his teammates. His direction and input has led to better practice sessions and rounds and, in turn, lower tournament scores. Sanchez hails from Alma High School and is dedicated and hard-working, constantly striving to improve the team. Fellow senior Collin McLean enters his fourth season on the team and has been constantly dedicated to lower his score and improving his game.
Juniors Evan Kay, Patrick Seymour (New Buffalo), Mike Yates (Plainfield, Ill./Canton), Ryan Wilson (Fenwick/Belding) and Jason Latz (Ovid/Ovid-Elsie) provide a strong contingent of talent for the Scots in 2006.
Kay was a second team All-MIAA golfer and had three top 10 finishes in MIAA Tournaments last season. With a team-best scoring average of 77.3 in MIAA tournaments and an overall average of 77.9, he will be counted on to go low and pace the Scots. Seymour had the second-lowest scoring average on the team last season with a mark of 78.5. After spending time in a professional golf management program in Florida, Seymour returned to Michigan and Alma College where he has been a cornerstone player for the team. Yates enhances his game and the team with his feel around the greens and clutch performance with his short game. Starkweather will look for Yates to contend for the team’s top five scoring spots. Ryan Wilson is the epitome of team player and has worked diligently toward improving his game and moving into one of the team’s tournament-player positions. Latz, also a basketball player for Alma, is a natural athlete with an effortless swing. With confidence, Latz has the potential to be a key component of the Scots’ move to the top of the MIAA.
Sophomore Kyle Travis (Shepherd) will play a large role in the Scots MIAA success. From nearby Shepherd, Mich., Travis’ game corners on consistency. After playing throughout the summer, Travis’ competitive skills are honed and primed for a move in the MIAA season.
Starkweather anticipates the addition of freshmen Drew Hoffman (Mayville), Bryan McKenney (Marshall) and Rob Ronk (Clarkston) in addition to Zachary San Miqel (Alma) and Nick Dickinson (Croswell-Lexington).
Hoffman was a three-sport athlete at Mayville High School and is another talented, natural athlete for the Scots. With focus on his play from the sand, this long-ball hitter will be a consistent player for the Maroon and Cream. McKenney’s natural talent and work ethic are a welcome addition to the Scots in 2006 as he led his Marshall team to the state finals after he shone individually at the regional tournament. Ronk will be an instant contender for Alma’s top five. A Michigan Amateur qualifier in the summer of 2006, he advanced to the match play rounds.
Starkweather and his group of committed, talented student-athletes are focused on moving higher in the conference standings. With Hope and Tri-State holding tightly to the conference’s top two spots in 2005 and Olivet within striking distance, Alma has the ability to aim high and score low in ’06. The MIAA moves to its new format in 2006 with the winner of the conference earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
After playing two spring tournaments earlier this year, the team opened the competitive season earlier and returns to active competition when they arrive on campus August 21. The season opens (Olivet Classic, Sept 1 & 2) and the MIAA Begins Sept. 7 at The Medalist. The conference schedule swings through Alma and the Scots’ home Pine River Country Club on Sept. 16, Parents and Family Day on campus, teeing off at 1:30 p.m. The team plays MIAA tournaments at Bedford Valley, The Prairies, Zollner Golf Club, Lenawee Country Club and The Watermark before ending the season at Hope College’s Wuskawan Country Club on October 5.
Posted: Wed, July 5th, 2006 at 3:31PM
