Members of the Sandhills Community College men’s and women’s golf teams that returned to the campus on June 10 from a victorious and record-breaking seven-day stay in Lake Chautauqua, NY, were feeling both tired and proud of the team and individual accomplishments.
Coach Gus Ulrich’s men’s team won its third NJCAA Division III title in a row by 41 strokes over second-place Georgia Military College. The Flyers broke the event’s previous 72-hole scoring record by 21 strokes. Individual champion Ben Read posted an 11-under par score of 277 that broke the previous tournament mark by four strokes. Teammates Alex Martin, the individual runner-up a year ago, Logan Hay and Noah Maness finished in second, fourth and sixth places, respectively, earning first-team All-American honors in the process. The Flyers’ fifth player, Watcharakan Chankarn, received second-team honors with a ninth-place finish in the field of 68 golfers and 11 teams.
The Flyers men’s coach since 2008, Ulrich’s teams have now won four national titles overall to go along with four runner-up finishes. His players capped the week by taking a dip in Lake Chautauqua as they have done following each of the titles.
“This was probably the strongest team I’ve had,” he said upon his return. “I thought last year’s team was good, but this team was even more consistent. And obviously, breaking the scoring record was incredible. I was blown away by their consistency.
“It’s good to be home. I’m just excited for the kids, the ones who are coming back next year and the ones who are sitting on the sidelines. I know they’re excited about next year too.”
Competing on the same Lake Chautauqua Golf Club course as individuals in the second year of the women’s Division III championship, Coach Herb Pike’s squad also made a statement. Prior to 2022, the women’s championship was non-divisional.
Trinity Ahing of the Lady Flyers earned medalist honors after completing the 72 holes in 4-over par. Teammates Ava Ray and Scotty Foley, the 2022 individual champion, finished second and third. All three earned first-team NJCAA All-American honors.
Pike’s squad lacked the fourth player required to compete for the team title won by Oxford College of Emory (GA).
“It was one of the happiest days of my life, watching these girls,” Pike said on the final day of the tournament. “It was not an easy golf course with the wind and the rain and some tough pins.
“These are three wonderful girls and they deserve everything they earned this week.”
Expectations Were High for Both Teams
The Flyer men won the 2022 title by a whopping 89 strokes over the 2023 runner-up Georgia Military College. Foley and Ray had finished 1-2 individually in last year’s women’s event.
Beginning this season with a squad of 14, Ulrich’s players were toughened by the experience of intense weekly qualifying for one of the five spots per team in most of the tournaments.
“We all knew going into nationals this year we were going to be strong,” Foley said of the Lady Flyers. “Ava and I have been here since day one and we’ve been through a lot of changes as far as girls coming in and out of the program and just getting to meet new people through it.
“It’s been an experience you won’t forget. We were all rooting for each other each day. Each day we just kept getting better and better.”
Both Teams Rise to the Occasion
Any suspense about the identity of the eventual men’s team champion was pretty much settled after the Flyers took an 18-stroke second-round lead over Georgia Military with the first of three-under-par team scores in a row.
The individual leader after two rounds, Martin, who is Appalachian State-bound, was overtaken by Read, a freshman from Banchory, Scotland, in the final two.
Playing on the course that has hosted the Division III championship since 2000, Read finished with scores of 72-70-67-68-277.
“The takeaway is so many things,” he said. “Four rounds under par in one tournament was a first for me. Breaking the scoring record by four strokes was pretty nice too.
“I think the main thing honestly is the friendships because I was close with all of the guys especially on the week up north, spending so much time together and playing so much golf. We also obviously learned a lot from a golf standpoint as well. It was just a great week.”
Martin’s 2-under par 72-hole score of 286 was an eight-stroke improvement over his total from the year before. Hay with a final round 70, Maness with a 69 in the second, and Watcharakan with a pair of 74s to finish up all came through with some of their best golf of the spring.
“Noah stepped up to the plate and really performed well,” Ulrich said. “And Logan with his 70 on his last round as a Flyer, I was really happy for him, ending on a good note. He has so much talent and for him to come through in the final round was really nice.”
A consistent performer for two years for the Lady Flyers, Ray had not broken 80 as a collegian before posting scores of 79-76-72-77-304 as she finished in second place four strokes behind Ahing. A civil engineering major, she plans to complete her four-year degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“I hadn’t shot in the 70’s in tournaments in two years,” she said. “I kind of went in there this week believing in myself, that I could achieve my goal of shooting in the 70’s.
“I think that says I’m capable of a lot of things and the only thing holding me back is myself. I’ve enjoyed the past week and it’s given me a boost in confidence. That goes to show it’s not only the hard work, but believing in myself.”
The next stop for Ahing, who transferred to Sandhills from Western Carolina, where she played as a freshman, is North Carolina Central in Durham. Coupled with improving her grades, including a 3.5 average for the spring semester, she is pleased with her experience at Sandhills.
“Eleven rounds out of 12 in the 70’s was awesome,” she said of her team’s accomplishment in New York. “It was great to see everybody on the team work hard. It would have been great to see Sandhills win everything, but unfortunately they won’t let three players be a team.”
Said Ray, “I think as a trio golf-wise we were the best anyone could ask for. We put in the work, the hours on the range and on the golf course.”
No Rest for the Weary
Fresh off the 650-mile return trip from Chautauqua, Ahing had only overnight to rest up to travel to Denver, NC, for Monday’s first round of the North Carolina Women’s Amateur held at Verdict Ridge Golf Club.
“I’m the reigning champion,” she said. “It’s nerve-racking because I’ve never had to defend a championship. I’m very fatigued after this whole week of golf and now I have to turn around and do it again.”
Following a difficult first 36 holes, Ahing bounced back with a round of 75 and finished in fifth place.
Read would be heading back to a town in Scotland located about six hours away from where the British Open will be held on July 20-23. Also an NJCAA Academic All-American, along with teammate Hay and Ray of the Lady Flyers, he plans to return in August for his sophomore year at Sandhills.
He estimates he played on more than 20 different golf courses this past year.
“I’ve got to speak with coach about next steps after the following year, but I’d definitely like to come back and spend another year because my golf game has improved so much, being here. And the facilities are great.”
Summing Things Up
Foley and Ray spent their freshman seasons tutored by longtime Lady Flyers Assistant Coach Bonnie McGowan, who passed away in January.
“We definitely all miss her and wish she could have been here,” Foley said. “She was an awesome person, but I knew she was watching over us. Along with Coach Pike, I’m glad we were able to come out strong and compete at the level we did.
“For us to come out first, second and third, and for the guys to win as a team was definitely an incredible accomplishment for all of us and the golf program at Sandhills. Pinehurst is golf heaven. We had a great two years and I’d like to bring in more people to experience what we experienced. I’m super-happy with where I am now and hope to continue to grow in athletics and with my education.”
Shortly after disembarking from their van in front of the Dempsey Student Center, Pike and his three players engaged in a team hug before going their separate ways.
“Coach Pike was just telling us how much he was going to miss us and that he just loves us as a team,” Foley said. “It’s going to be hard for us, splitting ways. Everyone is just trying to figure out what our next steps are. It’s definitely going to be hard leaving everybody.”
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel contributor C. Bergmann.
Courtesy photo.
