The Ohio men’s and women’s golf teams traveled almost 6,000 miles throughout their fall campaigns, but the connection built between golfers runs further and deeper. After concluding their fall seasons within the past three weeks, the teams look forward to the offseason before resuming in the spring.
“Not only do we have (a) really good team, but we have a great coach,” senior Phil Giesker said. “The road trips were always fun and they was always a great atmosphere this year.” In a season filled with ups and downs, the men’s team concluded its 2013 campaign placing sixth at the Cobra Puma Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla.
“We ended on a pretty good note,” freshman Peyton White said. “We struggled a little bit along the way, but it’s the fall, we’re trying to focus on the MAC championship in the spring.”
White was named Mid-American Conference golfer of the week twice during the course of the season, while also obtaining a pair of top-10 finishes in four outings.
“I think we ended the season well,” Giesker said. “Hopefully it helps us jump-start the spring season and obviously having Peyton, who we knew was good, but didn’t know was this good.”
White said the team will focus on its short game this offseason and find ways to put together more solid rounds.
On the women’s side, sophomore Angela Codian and the Bobcats finished their season ranking eighth at the Rocket Classic on Oct. 15.
Playing in four tournaments, the women finished sixth in a pair of their four outings and decreased their stroke average by seven.
“I was very pleased with our season,” coach Kelly Ovington said. “We dropped our stroke average by seven this fall and we wanted to be competitive. You’re not gonna win every tournament, but we wanted to go out and give ourselves the best chance to win.”
Through her career, Codian has a pair of top-five finishes, five top-10 finishes and six top-20 finishes in just 18 events.
“She started out strong turning in ninth at Illinois,” Ovington said. “She was coming off an injury over the summer, so she didn’t get to practice much. In the middle tournaments we had to work through some things but it gives her a lot of confidence finishing the season strong.”
Ovington said it will be hard for the team to play a final season with Kristin Helmsdoerfer after the fifth-year coach has mentored the senior since her freshman season.
“She’s always been a strong player,” Ovington said. “I think she found a new love for the game this year and wanted to finish out her last year strong. She really is a leader off and on the course.”
The men’s spring season will start back with a dual Feb. 8 against Bowling Green in Orlando, Fla. and the women’s season opens with the Mid American Match Play Challenge on Feb. 3.
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