The Stevenson men’s and women’s golf teams have had to end their 2020 spring season due to the recent coronavirus outbreak. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) cancelled all winter and spring sports, and senior athletes are seeking an answer for whether or not they will be able to play their final season.
The men’s team had hopes of bringing home another Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) title after winning the championship last spring. The team hoped to make another run in the NCAA tournament as they sought to build upon last season’s success.
Both the men’s and women’s teams won the MAC championship last season, giving them an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As both teams made a solid run last spring at the NCAA championship, they looked forward to using last season’s progress to fuel both programs to another NCAA playoff appearance.
Before the season was cut short, head coach Chris Ramer said, “When you win, everybody is out to get you and we have a number on our back.” He added, “Three returning seniors have an opportunity to go to the NCAA playoffs again and make a statement for the program.”
Senior Tyler Slusarczyk said, “Last season both teams had something to prove, and we all shared the same desire to win the MAC title and make a run in the NCAA playoffs.” He added, “It’s incredibly difficult to see this upcoming season go to waste. Many of us seniors feel that the situation before us is unfair, and we all feel that something should be done to allow us to play.”
Slusarczyk is a dual-sport athlete at Stevenson as a member of both the men’s golf team and the men’s ice hockey team. He finished last season with an average score of 80.88 through 16 rounds of golf, where he also shot a personal record low round score of 69.
Both teams play split seasons, in which they compete both in the fall and the spring. The men’s team had two first-place finishes and seven top-five finishes in 12 contests during the fall of 2019. Sophomore Will Ford led the team with an average score of 75.20, shooting a low round of 69 through 10 rounds of golf.
The women’s team had nine first-place finishes and one second-place finish in 10 contests in the fall of 2019. Sophomore Amanda Perez led the women’s team with an average score of 82.70 through 23 rounds of golf. Perez shot a personal record low round score of 77, and senior Julia Kline edged out Perez with a low round score of 74.
For more information on the men’s and women’s golf teams and for official updates on the status of the senior athletes, visit gomustangsports.com