The Yellow Jacket Men's Golf Program Has a Tradition of Success
The golf program at Baldwin Wallace University continues to be on the move. The goal each season is to win the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference title and qualify for the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
What Happened During the 2009-2010 Season?
During the 2009-2010 men's golf season, the Yellow Jackets compiled a fine overall record of 60-25-2 and placed third during both the OAC regular season and championship tournament under first-year Head Coach Tom Heil. Overall, BW had six top-five finishes and was runner-up in three consecutive tournaments in April. Senior Nick Bryan (Zanesville/Rosecrans) finished third individually at the OAC Championships to earn All-OAC honors for the third time in his career and two other Yellow Jackets placed in the top 16. For the season, Bryan led BW with a 76.43 stroke average in 10 tournaments and 21 rounds of golf. Junior Matt Weiss (Concord/Mentor) was second on the team with a 77.0 stroke average and shot a school-record round of 68 at the Wooster Nye Intercollegiate. Bryan was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV selection for the second straight season and was tabbed an Academic All-OAC At-Large pick along with junior Brian Routhieaux (Gibsonia, Pa./ Mars Area).
What Does the Golf Student-Athlete and Recruit Have to Expect?
Each Yellow Jacket golfer can expect to play in virtually every tournament that the team enters, either as one of the top five or as an individual. Coach Heil works hard to formulate a schedule where every golfer on the roster gets an opportunity to play and contribute. Each week, the team plays in a number of "challenge" rounds and the top five earn the right to compete with the others entered as individual competitors.
The Golf Season at BW
The season begins in the fall when BW annually plays in four tournaments. In the winter, the Yellow Jacket golfers begin their preseason conditioning and training in the BW Recreation Center and Stonebrook Golf Academy during February and early March. Here, Yellow Jacket athletes can work on strength, flexibility, endurance and golf fundamentals.
During spring break, the BW golf squad travels south or west to practice, play competitively and prepare for the spring season. In the spring of 2010, the Yellow Jackets traveled south for training in Panama, Florida and played at the Spring Hill Badger Invitational in Mobile Alabama. In 2009, the Yellow Jackets traveled west to Phoenix, Arizona and competed in a tri-match at Pine Valley Golf Club.
In 2008, the Yellow Jackets traveled to the Tampa, Florida area, trained and competed against Calvin (Mich.) College at The Claw Golf Club on the University of South Florida course. In the spring of 2007, BW traveled west to San Diego, California and played in the Point Loma Nazarene 54-hole Smee Builders Tournament at the Steele Canyon Country Club. In addition, the team had the opportunity to play the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course, the site of the 2008 U.S. Open Tournament.
What Else Does the BW Golf Student-Athlete Get Besides a Quality Education?
The Baldwin Wallace University golf program strives for excellence by stressing the development of each student-athlete to his fullest potential. The BW golf athlete is asked to be self-disciplined and unselfishly dedicated in order to place the goal of the team ahead of personal recognition.
While many valuable lessons can be learned in the classroom and on the golf course, the ultimate goal is to help each student-athlete grow, mature and graduate from BW.
The Ohio Athletic Conference
Baldwin Wallace University belongs to the 10-team Ohio Athletic Conference for men and women. Long considered one of the finest small college conferences in the nation, the OAC offers competition in 21 NCAA Division III sports, including golf for men and women. The winner of the annual OAC Tournament earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
The OAC is the third oldest existing collegiate conference. Founded in 1902, the OAC is predated only by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1888) and the Big Ten (1895).