The
University of Southern Indiana men’s golf not only begins a new year in
September, but a new era in the history of the program.
For
the first time in four seasons, Mark Franklin and Matt Scheessele will not be
on the golf course for the Screaming Eagles. Franklin and Scheessele combined
for two National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar awards, six
All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors, and Franklin’s GLVC Freshman of
the Year award.
The pair also led USI to three appearances in the NCAA Division II
North Regional.
Beginning
2001-02, USI Head Coach Jim Brown will find a new leader to steer the
team down the fairway. Two candidates, who could take the lead could be
sophomores Zach Smith (Evansville, Indiana) and Tim Garner
(Martinsville, Indiana).
Smith
played in eight tournaments for the Eagles as a freshman (13 rounds), placing
fourth on the team for the year with a 79.7 average and led the Eagles in two
tournaments during the spring.
Garner
played in nine of USI’s 13 tournaments (18 rounds) producing an 80.1
average. The sophomore placed in USI’s top two in five of his 13 tournaments
with a low of 74 on the first day of the three-round Bradley Invitational.
Coach
Brown also may look to juniors Andy Skodinski (New Ross, Indiana) and Ryan
Overby (Providence, Kentucky). Skodinski, who was limited to only two
tournaments last spring, showed his potential with a pair of 77s in the first
two days of the Bradley Invitational, but saw his average drop from 79.5 as a
freshman to 80.5 as a sophomore.
Overby
was one of the most consistent players for the Eagles last season, playing in
11 of USI’s 13 tournaments. He was in the top three for USI in six of the
tournaments, leading the way in the first two tournaments of the season.
In
addition to the top four returning players from last season, USI welcomes back
two juniors – Charlie Lane (Bicknell, Indiana) and Brett Smith (Jasper,
Indiana) –
and three sophomores – Mike Cole (Indianapolis, Indiana), Chad
Horrell (Evansville, Indiana), and Nathan Wolfe (Henderson,
Kentucky). Wolfe, who saw only limited action last year as a freshman, led the
Eagles at the GLVC Tournament with a three-round 229 and tied for the team low
with a 75 in the third round.
New
to the team in 2001-02 are freshmen Mike Heider (Anderson, Indiana) and
B. J. Pierce (Georgetown, Kentucky).
Heider, a 2001 graduate of Anderson High School in Anderson, Indiana,
was the AHS Most Valuable Player and won the George T. Hitz Golf Award, the
Indiana Head Academic Award, and the Matthew Sromek Memorial Award. He also
was named All-County and Academic All-Conference as a junior and senior.
Pierce
graduated from Floyd Central High School where he participated in golf and
tennis. A four-year letter winner in golf, he was named All-Conference as a
junior and senior and appeared in the Indiana High School Association state
tournament three straight seasons. The native of Georgetown, Indiana, helped
Floyd Central to the sectional championship in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and the
regional championship in 1999.
As
the squad enters the fall, USI wants to continue to improve upon its standing
in the GLVC. The Eagles finished last season in fifth place in the upper
division.
More importantly, the Eagles want to return to the NCAA Division II Tournament. USI missed a berth in the tournament for the first time in six seasons last spring. For the first time this year, a GLVC Tournament championship ensures an automatic spot in the national tournament.
