Hershey, PA — For the first time in school history, Messiah’s men’s golf team is headed to the NCAA National Championships.
The honor accompanied the program’s first-ever Commonwealth Conference championship Sunday afternoon at Hershey Country Club’s East Course, where Messiah fired a 305 to overcome Albright College — which possessed a three-shot lead after Saturday’s first round.
A variety of both stellar — and gutsy — performances helped the Falcons improve on a Saturday score of 312, however, as the team registered a two-day total of 617 — 14 shots better than the Lions’ 631.
“It really hasn’t hit me yet,” said fifth-year Messiah head coach Troy Boone of the school’s first league title. “I’m so proud of our guys. They hung in there and kept fighting, kept competing. This is an awesome group of young men. I’m proud to be associated with what they’ve done.”
Freshman Matt Burkhart led the way for Boone’s club, being named the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year after shooting a 75-73, edging out Albright’s Steve Werst by a single stroke for medalist honors.
Burkhart may have saved those awards Sunday on the 215-yard, par three 16th, converting par after flying the green on his tee shot.
Facing a 25-yard chip shot with the green running away from him — and water beyond — Burkhart lobbed an absolutely impossible chip that settled on the near fringe and began tracking toward the hole.
It hit the cup and spinned out, leaving but a tap-in for his par.
“Matt is dirty,” said junior teammate Dan Wort. “He’s hard enough to beat when he’s hitting greens in regulation. But he can score from the worst places. That’s what makes him great.”
Wort had little room to talk, as the Califon, New Jersey native made eagle on the 540-yard, par-five 14th, holing out from 123 yards with a pitching wedge.
That shot turned what Wort described as a “horrible” round into a solid 79, as he finished the day eagle, birdie, par, par, par.
Senior and number one golfer Corey Wenger overcame a nasty stomach bug to post a 77-79 over the weekend, while classmate and number five golfer Ben Horst came up equally as large: After firing an 80 Saturday, Horst went low Sunday, posting a 74 to all but secure Messiah’s team victory.
Horst entered the weekend averaging 81 on the season. He shot 88-80 at last year’s MAC Championships, where Messiah finished a disappointing third.
“A lot of love has to go to Ben,” Boone said. “He stepped up strong and really came through today. His score was the key to our win, no question. He showed a ton of heart out there, knowing we needed a good score today (to win).”
Perhaps the Falcons’ only player who left something on the course was freshman M’Cheyne Farlling, who fired an uncharacteristic 81-85. But as Boone said, the best part about his scores was the pending chance to do it again: Messiah now heads to its first-ever NCAA Division III Championships, an event that will take place at both the Hershey Country Club East Course and the Hershey Links, beginning Tuesday, May 11.
“Our goal is now to make the cut, and we’re going to approach that the same way we approached the conference championships,” Boone said. “There’s going to be a lot of nerves and jitters, but we’re familiar with these courses. We play them two or three times each year, so we’re going in feeling like that’s a huge advantage for us.”
Prior to the weekend, Messiah played Hershey Country Club’s East Course at both the spring and fall Elizabethtown College Blue Jay Classics, posting a 320 in the fall before winning the Apr. 8 event in firing a 300. While the Falcons did not play the Hershey Links competitively this season, the team made two trips to the course last year, posting a 334 and 320.
A total of 36 teams will make their way to the greater Hershey area next weekend, as practice rounds will be held both Sunday and Monday. Competitive golf begins Tuesday, May 11th at 7 a.m., while both the country club’s east course and the links will be used in the first two rounds. Following Wednesday’s action, the field will be cut to 16 final teams. Those squads will then play the links course both Thursday and Friday to determine the 2010 NCAA Division III National Champion.
Details of the four-day event are available at the official site of the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships.
Horst joined Burkhart with First Team All-Commonwealth honors Sunday, while Wenger and Wort earned Second Team All-League accolades. Boone earned the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year award, his first. Elizabethtown (635) finished third behind Messiah and Albright in the team scoring, while Alvernia University (656), Lebanon Valley College (661), Widener University (685), Lycoming College (727) and Arcadia University (773) rounded out the competition.
“I feel we’re peaking at the right time,” Boone said. “God has blessed us with a number of really good recruits over the years, and this is the direction that we’ve been focused on. I’m proud of our guys for hanging in there and sharing this vision. What they’ve done is pretty awesome.”