|
Top
players carry men’s golf team into WAC tournament The men’s golf team captured third place at last year’s Western Athletic Conference Championship without this year’s top golfer sophomore, Adam Rubinson. After redshirting last year, Rubinson is back and he said he is expecting nothing less than a first-place finish at this year’s tournament. “We deserve the conference victory because we have worked hard and have had a strong game this season,” Rubinson said. Rubinson will join seniors Scott Volpitto and Aaron Hickman, junior Andy Doeden and sophomore Scott Polanski to play at the WAC Championships Monday through Wednesday at Forest Ridge Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. According to the MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings, the Frogs are ranked eighth nationally, while the team is ranked 13th in Golfweek’s Top 25 Rankings. Rubinson was the only player to participate in all 10 tournaments this season, earning four top 10 and five top 20 finishes. The Frogs won the WAC Championships in 1997 and 1998. Volpitto, who earned four top 10 and four top 20 finishes this season, said the combination of Rubinson and the team’s depth could help bring a victory. “(Rubinson) has been playing great all year, and we can depend on him to play a good game,” Volpitto said. “All of the guys have played well this season, and although the lineup has changed from last year’s tournament, we have a much deeper team.” Fresno State, which won the WAC title last season, and Southern Methodist, which finished second, will be among the nine competitors at the tournament. But Volpitto said the competition won’t be as tough this year. “Fresno has lost most of their senior golfers from last year’s tournament, and SMU has done OK this season,” Volpitto said. Rubinson said the Frogs are entering the tournament in better shape than last season, but that doesn’t necessarily assure them the championship. “Our team is better because we have the same guys from before, plus new members who have had a good season, like Polanski,” Rubinson said. “The game is all mental because we can only take it one shot at a time and we have no control over what the other teams are doing.” Head men’s golf coach Bill Montigel said that although he wants the team to win the conference title, the most important thing is for the players to play their best. “I always tell them to play their best and at the end, we will add up the points, and come back the next day and do our best again,” Montigel said. During the 14 seasons in which Montigel has coached, the Frogs have appeared in 11 NCAA Regionals and eight NCAA Championships. Montigel said it is important to focus on the current situation, and he hasn’t given much thought to regionals and the NCAA Championships. “I’m just thinking about the first hole at the WAC,” Montigel said. Hickman said that although the team is competing to win, it is trying not to look too far ahead. “I’m looking forward to winning the conference title for the bragging rights because we have had a good run so far,” Hickman said. “But we’re trying to live in the moment and not get ahead of ourselves.” Jennifer
Koesling |