2014-2015 MCC Finish: 4th of 7
Letterwinners returning/lost: 8/4
Notable returners:
Frederik Lundsgaard So. Jebjerg, Denmark
(Honorable-mention all-MCC, 75.3 avg., low of 67)
Spencer Skipper Sr. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
(Letterwinner, 77.0 avg., low of 70)
Brandon Dizon Jr. San Leandro, Calif.
(Letterwinner, 76.5 avg., low of 71)
Clay Tucker Jr. Oskaloosa, Iowa
(Letterwinner, 78.5 avg., low of 73)
Notable Losses:
Gareth Sargent
(Honorable-mention all-MCC)
Tyler Lallier
(Two-time letterwinner)
Byron Lindeque
(Four-time letterwinner)
Notable newcomers:
Joshua Snyman Fr. Johannesburg, South Africa
Zach Swink Jr. Burlington, Iowa
Bradley Hamilton Fr. Earlham, Iowa
Last year’s stepping-stone campaign is hopefully only the start of big things for the William Penn men’s golf program as the team readies for 2015-2016.
A year older and more experienced, the Statesmen linksters placed fourth at the 2015 Midwest Collegiate Conference Championships and Head Coach Steve Tucker is confident his team is prepared to battle for the top as William Penn moves to the Heart of America Conference.
Four letterwinners have left the program since last spring (three to graduation, one moving on to D-1 play), but the cupboard is still stocked with skilled swingers. Frederik Lundsgaard (So., Jebjerg, Denmark, History/Government) and Spencer Skipper (Sr., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Business Management) will lead the charge, while Brandon Dizon (So., San Leandro, Calif., Sociology) and Clay Tucker (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Business Management) also figure into high-profile positions. Lundsgaard heads the navy and gold returners with a 75.3 average; the rest of the quartet also posted sub-79 scoring averages.
Not far behind and certainly expecting to push for varsity slots will be returners Kyle Hashimoto (Jr., Acampo, Calif., Undecided), Charlie Hayes (Jr., Whitesboro, Texas, History/Government), Ben Roberts (Sr., Albia, Iowa, Industrial Technology), Jeremy White (Jr., Baytown, Texas, Mechanical Engineering), Justin Bothma (Sr., Boksburg, South Africa, Business Management), Peter Frederiksen (So., Hornslet, Denmark, Mechanical Engineering), Ethan Powers (Sr., Tipton, Iowa, Business Management), Rory Schafer (So., Solwezi, Zambia), and Cade Hartman (So., Las Vegas, Nev., Business Management).
Bothma and White averaged under 80 a year ago.
John Baumunk (Jr., Sherrard, Ill., Business Management) will make his first appearance in the navy and gold after redshirting last year, while newcomers Joshua Snyman (Fr., Johannesburg, South Africa), Zach Swink (Jr., Burlington, Iowa), and Bradley Hamilton (Fr., Earlham, Iowa) will take successful prep and/or junior college careers into their initial Statesmen seasons.
Schedule/Conference
WPU opens up by hosting the Midwest Collegiate Open on August 31-September 1 in Moravia, while six tournaments follow in a busy fall. The Statesmen will also host the William Penn Classic in Oskaloosa on October 11-12. The squad concludes its autumn season playing against the best in the nation at the NAIA Preview in mid-October.
Fellow Heart newcomers Grand View and Mount Mercy should be the early league favorites, but Tucker sees William Penn making up ground on them and being a legitimate contender next April.
