Godfrey, Ill. – The men’s golf team will start spring season ranked No. 7 in the nation—one of many recent firsts for the Trailblazers.
“We are elated. We were ranked No. 13 in the NJCAA Coaches Poll at the beginning of November and we’ve moved up to No. 7 in the recent Golfstat poll,” said Head Coach Mike Brasher. “The success of our fall pre-season has garnered some national attention for Lewis and Clark and we couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
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The Trailblazers ranking of No. 7 in the nation is based on head-to-head competition in the Golfstat rankings, one of the most dependable ranking systems in college golf. College tournaments send their results to Golfstat for the purpose of ranking leading up to the national spring tournament.
“A big first this fall for our team was winning their first-ever team victory at the Danville Invitational Tourney at Turtle Creek Golf Club,” said Brasher.
The Trailblazers shot 299/293 for a 592 team total score to win the nine-team tournament by 11 shots over runner-up Rend Lake. Devlin Keenoy was medalist with a three under par 141 for another first in this event, and Brendan Bargetzi was fourth.
The 299 score on day one of the tournament was a school record low-team score followed on day two by a new school record low of 293 which translates into a new school record low-team total of 592 and Lewis and Clark’s first ever first place trophy.
During fall pre-season, the Trailblazers hosted and won two match play events at Belk Park Golf Course. Webster University fell to Lewis and Clark with a score of 6 and 3 followed by Lindenwood Belleville who lost to Lewis and Clark with a score of 5 and 3.
The Trailblazers traveled to MacMurray College for a six team tourney that included five NCAA Division 3 teams and took second place. Sophomore Jered Hogan was the second place individual score and Lewis and Clark had all five players finish in the top ten.
The golf team also finished fourth at the Rend Lake Fall Preview Tourney where freshman Clark Spalding finished in second place and Devlin Keenoy and Jered Hogan also finished in the top ten.
When the spring season begins in March the Trailblazers will get back to work. Sophomore Devlin Keenoy, a medalist at the conference tourney and MWAC Player of the Year as a freshman will get the chance to defend his title.
Also, based on results from the fall season, Lewis and Clark is positioned as the ‘team to beat’ in the MWAC this year. That would also be a first, to win the conference tourney.
Lewis and Clark has had the "Player of the Year" for two of the past three years. Shane Smith won the MWAC Tourney as a freshman too.
“As we gear up for the spring season we have several things to look forward to,” said Brasher
"The ultimate goal for the team is to win the region tournament and advance as a team to the nationals. We definitely have the horses to get this done. It will require everyone to bring their ‘A’game. It is a 54 hole event over two days. Any team that advances from our region has a chance to win it all."
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