Top-ranked Hawks have high expectations for spring season
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon men's golf team took a big step in 2016.
The Hawks returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and placed second for their best finish during the NCAA era.
As the 2017 spring season begins, Huntingdon is looking to take another step. The Hawks enter the spring as the top-ranked team in Division III.
"The team is definitely riding high right now but there is no complacency in this group," Huntingdon Director of Golf Dave Schreyer said. "We know the value of hard work. That is the reason for our success. If there is a team out there that works harder than these guys, I want to see it. These guys don't just want to win they want to win big. I love the culture that we have built here at Huntingdon."
The Hawks won three of their four tournaments during the fall season, including a 30-stroke win in the Gordin Collegiate Classic. In a field that featured six other top-10 nationally ranked teams, Huntingdon shot 847. It was the best 54-hole total for the Hawks during the NCAA era.
Huntingdon also turned in its top two 36-hole totals of the NCAA era with 551 in the first two rounds of the Gordin Collegiate Classic and 565 in the O'Briant-Jensen Memorial.
Leading the Hawks this spring are seniors Addison Lambeth, Will Thrash and Chad Ring. Lambeth, the 2016 Jack Nicklaus Division III Player of the Year and the current No. 1 golfer in Division III, tied for second in the NCAA Tournament last season. Lambeth placed third or better in three of the Hawks' four fall tournaments.
Thrash, an honorable mention All-American last season, is ranked third in Division III this season. In four tournaments during the fall, Thrash won twice and placed third once. He shot par or better seven times in 11 rounds during the fall.
Ring enters the spring ranked 31st in Division III, had a fourth-place finish in the Gordin Collegiate Classic last fall and tied for 15th in the NCAA Division III Fall Preview.
"The big three have been tremendous for us and their leadership has definitely shaped the culture of this team. They are paving the way for the young talent behind them," Schreyer said. "They have set a great example for our younger players to see what is possible and as a result, the effort level has gone up across the board. The cool thing about these guys is they are best of friends. It has been a lot of fun watching them work."
Rounding out the top five to open the spring are sophomore Stephen Shephard and freshman Alex Aulerich. Both golfers rank in the top-80 in Division III. Aulerich is ranked 40th and Shephard, the 2016 USA South Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, is 80th.
"Stephen and Alex both had a strong fall," Schreyer said. "Both of them are future leaders of this team and we're counting on them. We expect them to continue playing at a high level this spring."
Huntingdon opens the spring season on Monday and Tuesday in the Callaway Gardens Invitational. The Hawks won the Callaway Gardens Invitational last season.
"We have had good success at Callaway and it will be good to start the spring at a familiar venue," Schreyer said. "I expect the boys will pick right up where they left off in the fall. Our spring qualifying scores were nothing short of incredible, so if that's an indication of what's to come, this could be an exciting spring."