Men's golf sneaks past Trinity for first place

Author: Jeff Klein

"We're eager to show we can go low as a team."

Those were the words spoken by Michael McCormick '09 after the Middlebury men's golf team hosted the Duke Nelson Invitational two weekends ago. The Panthers' fifth place finish in the tournament was solid, but perhaps not quite up to the standards the team sets for itself. McCormick's words attested to that sentiment.

Well, it looks as if the Panthers have awoken.

Behind impressive performances from all five Middlebury participants, the Panthers proved this past weekend that they can indeed go low as a team, finishing the NESCAC Qualifier with a two-day total of 593, and a first place finish overall. The victory means that the Panthers will host the NESCAC Championships in the spring, which will take place on April 25 and 26.

"Everyone has been very dedicated and focused in practice," said Jimmy Levins '11, "and it's great to see that hard work show itself in competition,"

Levins led the Panthers with a two-day total of 145 strokes, good for third place among all players from the 10 teams that competed.

But particularly striking was the balanced Panther attack; all five Middlebury players finished within 10 strokes of each other.

While Levins acknowledged his individual prowess, he believes that the team element was clearly the most important factor in the win.

"I was pleased with how I played," he said, "but am really excited that we won as a team. The team aspect of this sport is what makes you rise up to the challenge, and we all played solid golf."

That team aspect was apparent when looking at the results. Finishing with a two-day total of 141, Trinity's Reid Longley was the only participant to finish under par at the par 71 Ralph Myhre Golf Course, yet his Bantams ultimately fell to the Panthers by a stroke, 593 to 594.

When asked to describe the feelings and emotions that come with being locked in a close competition, Levins gave a simple yet profound response.

"You can't do anything about what the other guys do," he said, "so you just have to focus on your own game and make every shot count. I stayed in the present and hit one shot at a time."

Middlebury hits the road this weekend to participate in the Hamilton Fall Invitational.

With a first place finish on home turf fresh in their memory, the Panthers have no reason not to be brimming with confidence as they look to continue their excellent play.

But again, it's all about the team concept for this squad, as players choose to deflect credit to others.

"I think that our overall confidence and mindset has improved greatly over the course of the fall," said Levins, "and a lot of that has to be attributed to Coach Beaney."

The Panthers' top finish enables them to host the NESCACs in the spring, something they are clearly excited about. "It is always nice to play in front of a home crowd," said McCormick, "and we feel as if we can play as well as any team here."

They certainly showed it this weekend.