The Communique

Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Brandon Williams Justin Strabala gets ready to hit during golf practice at the Rec Center.

Snow still covers most golf courses throughout Iowa but inside the Rec Center the Kirkwood Community College golf team is swinging hard and aiming high in preparation for the upcoming season.

Last year the team won their regional tournament at the Spirit Hollow Golf Course in Burlington and went on to place ninth out of 20 teams in the national tournament at Goose Pond Colony golf course in Scottsboro, Ala.

"That was a really cool experience," said sophomore Cam Jacobs, business administration major. "They treated us like professionals."

However, with a new season comes new challenges.

"We can't relish on what we accomplished last year," Head Coach Darin Pint said. "We're excited about the upcoming year and what lies ahead but we still have to take care of our own business."

Pint said that since January he has implemented a sport specific weight-training program for the team. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the team weight-trains and on Tuesdays and Thursdays the golfers hit into nets set up in the Rec Center.

"There's not much we can do with two feet of snow outside but we're getting by with what we can do and putting the time in," said sophomore Ben Montgomery, Liberal Arts major.

Both the athletes and Pint pointed out consistency as a problem from last year that they are trying to fix this year.

"It always seemed like we never finished our rounds very well due to maybe fatigue or lack of concentration," coach Pint said.

"I hope that if we get stronger and get in better shape that it will allow us to finish out rounds a lot better."

The first scheduled tournament for the team is the Central College Invite at the Bos Landen Golf Course in Pella on March 28-29.

The team said they have high expectations for themselves after last year's successes and are looking for another chance at the national tournament.

"We've got a lot of talent on this team and I think we can do really well," said freshman Johnathan Vermeer, marketing and manager major.

"We're excited for the challenges ahead and excited to get the white stuff off the ground," Pint said.

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