#25 BLINN MENS GOLF EYEING MORE VICTORIES
The Blinn College men’s golf team has one goal in mind for the spring.
“We want to go to nationals,” sophomore Van Miller said. “We want to win enough to get to nationals. That’s the goal for the end of the season and then we’ll see where we land.”
In 2022, Blinn landed a Region XIV championship but missed out on qualifying for the NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. The Bucs finished eighth at the District 2 Championship tournament, and a four-person vote from coaches representing the NJCAA's four districts combined with the final rankings from GolfStat.com provided a composite score that determined which teams would earn three remaining at-large bids. The Bucs missed qualifying by one point.
“We remember that feeling and it was tough,” added Miller. “We think we have the group to right that wrong this season.”
Miller joins a group of 10 sophomores, including Colby Beamon, Tyler Dawson, Cameron Hubbard, Cole Killian, Cole McLellan, Fidel Riojas, Sam Sewell, Ty Thomas, and Carson Wray.
Miller and Wray were all-region selections for the Bucs in 2022, while Miller was also named the regional medalist with a composite score of 406. Wray (414) finished fifth in the region.
Freshmen Grant Brennan, Cade Cook, Bradley Gruver, Austin Hassell, Jacob Holloway, Carson Holzshu, McKane Kiser, and Van Wilborn are also in the mix.
“The freshmen are falling into line and seeing what it takes to be competitive,” Johnson explained. “They see the sophomores working hard and are working hard to be right there with them. They’re fighting for a seat on the bus just like the rest of the guys on this team.”
This past fall, the 25th-ranked Bucs played well behind its wealth of experience, earning two runner-up finishes. At the Jacksonville Tomato Bowl Classic in September, Blinn finished second behind Tyler Junior College by just one stroke before settling for second at the Thorntree Throwdown in October following a five-player playoff.
Head coach David Johnson is hopeful his team can get over the hump in the coming months.
“I’m ready for the guys to get out there and compete,” Johnson said. “It’s time to put the show on the road and see how far along we are right now. What they did in the fall was okay, but I know we were disappointed about falling short a couple of times.”
Johnson said he’s stressed to his team the importance of every shot and hopes that swing-by-swing mentality will pave the way for lower scores.
“Our guys found out in the fall that those aren’t just words but something they really need to take to heart,” the coach added. “Every shot matters, and I think they’re ready to take care of business. They’ve worked hard to improve their game, physically and mentally, and I’m ready to see what they can do.”
The Buccaneers will play four regular-season tournaments this spring, including the Blinn Spring Invitational on Monday, April 3, at the Brenham Country Club. They will also compete for a berth at the national tournament at the NJCAA South District Meet on Saturday, April 15 at The Golf Club in Brownwood, Texas, and the District II Championship on Monday, April 24, at the Texas A&M Golf Club in College Station, Texas.
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information