SXU Athletics
The men’s golf team opened its season last Friday. The tournament, the Battle at Blackthorn, was a two-day event at Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend, Ind. At the closing of the first day, the men ranked 7th out of 15 with a score of 312.
This season, the team consists of seven golfers, one of which is a senior and two of which are freshmen. This year marks the third year of men’s golf at Saint Xavier under head coach Mike Mandakas.
Last season the men did exceptionally well, winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Championship and moving onto the National Associate of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship, where they finished in 24th place out of a total of 29 teams.
“I think last year was a success, as we had one goal in mind, which was to win our conference championship and qualify for the national championship,” said Mandakas.
Despite last year being a success, the golfers experienced some hardships as well, some quite threatening to the well-being of the Cougars.
“We were a team filled with injuries, some almost season-ending. However, we overcame those obstacles and went to nationals in Daytona Beach,” said Mandakas.
The team remained motivated by Mandakas and the desire to reach their goals.
“We accomplished our goal that was set when the original 5 [Kyle Bahnick, Kirby Brown, James Kerr, Brendan Ryan and Zachary Trent] came and started this program,” said Bahnick. “That goal [was to] win the conference and go to the national tournament. Coach Mike Mandakas consistently reminded us of our three-shot loss at the conference tournament the previous year [2012-2013] to keep us motivated and focused on what soon would be achieved.”
There is always a lot of pressure put on the Cougars during their first tournament of the season, because it shows what the team is made of.
“The first tournament of the fall is always a toss up,” said Bahnick, a senior. “Nothing can show you more about your game than being thrown into the fire.”
With confidence from last season’s success, the team is looking forward to this year with goals in mind.
“Our main goal for this young team,” said Mandakas, “is to learn and retain the team chemistry that we had last season. It’s going to be a rebuilding year for us, so we need to get back to the basic fundamentals.
Bahnick is looking for a repeat of last year and more. He has high hopes for the team he’ll be leaving behind when he graduates this upcoming spring.
“This being my last year, I’d love to go out on top, but more importantly I want our underclassmen to continue what was started by the original five: to keep striving for success and to allow the program to grow,” he said.
With only five tournaments left this fall season, the team has several months to practice before their opening tournament of the spring.
“I always look forward to the first tournament of the spring in March,” said Bahnick. The team travels to Arizona to compete in the Embry-Riddle Invitational, which is always filled with good competition as well as great weather.”
However, before the spring season begins, the team had the opportunity to play its rival, Cardinal Stritch, on Monday and Tuesday. The Wolves hosted the Deer Park Classic in Oglesby, Illinois.
“Our biggest threat is Cardinal Stritch,” said Mandakas. “They finished in second place in conference but beat us in the national championship. They have all their players returning, so they are the favorite to win our conference this year.”
In addition to playing the Cougars’ biggest opponent, the team has some other great tournaments to play this fall. Mandakas is excited for what is to come this October.
“I am looking forward to the NAIA Midwest [Classic], which is held at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. It is comprised of the best NAIA golf programs in the Midwest, so it will be a good test for our young team,” he said.
However, as evident by past seasons, especially last year, this “young team” is a threat.
“I’m excited to see what our underclassmen can do,” said Bahnick. “They have some shoes to fill, but I believe we have a lot of talent.”
The Cougars will only play once on their home course in Flossmoor, Illinois. They will be hosting the SXU CCAC Fall Preview at the Flossmoor Country Club. The men tee off at 8 a.m. on Oct. 3.
The team hits the course again for the Chicago State Invite at the Harborside International Golf Center on Monday and Tuesday.
Alexis Flamburis
Sports Correspondent