The Sandhills Community College men’s golf team won its third NJCAA Division III title in a row by 41 strokes over second-place Georgia Military College last June, breaking the event’s 72-hole scoring record by 21 strokes in the process.
During the halftime intermission at Saturday’s Flyers basketball game against Flight 22 Prep, coach Gus Ulrich and team members were presented with their national championship rings.
Afterward, Ulrich and team members Alex Martin and Fifa Chankarn talked as much about the team’s journey to the title as the accomplishment itself.
“I think I can say for Alex and Fifa, as far as the national championship, I think the most fun time was after competing we would go to the range, hit shots, practice, cut up and have some fun,” Ulrich recalled. “It was a great bonding time for all of us. I could just see the happiness in their faces and the fun they were having.
“I think that’s part of how you play well. You’re having fun, doing you’re best, but you’re also enjoying what you’re doing.”
Freshman Benjamin Read took individual honors, breaking the previous tournament record by five strokes at the event held in Lake Chautauqua, NY. Martin was the national tournament runner-up for the second year in a row. Teammates Logan Hay, Noah Maness, and Chankarn also earned NJCAA All-American honors with top-10 finishes. Adam Hathaway, another team member, earned All-American honors as a member of the 2022 title team.
Martin saw action during the recent fall season as a member of the golf team at Appalachian State.
“I just remember all of the guys together and a great week overall,” he said, looking back. “It was just fun being around the guys for a week.”
The Flyers Continue Preparations for Another Title Run
Read and freshman Austin May shared medalist honors as the Flyers bested a field that included five four-year colleges in winning the Don Scalf Memorial held in Rocky Mount by 49 strokes in their September fall opener.
With four national titles at Sandhills as coach in all, Ulrich talked about each year’s challenge to compete for another championship.
“That’s definitely on our agenda, and that’s our goal,” the coach said. “The fall season was really good, especially that first tournament that told me we have another special team. We have our challenges, but everyone from the fall is returning for the spring. We had our end-of-the-season golf meeting and had a lot to talk about. We’re excited about another chance to win a national championship.”
Read, Chankarn, Nicholas Howard and Supanat Rvjiranan are the returnees from last season.
“We’re looking for another championship,” Chankarn said. “We still have time to improve, and then we’ll try for a four-peat.”
Feature photo by Donna Ford.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel contributor C. Bergmann.
