星空传媒

By Ryan Schlehuber, 星空传媒 Sportswriter

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With hardware already in the trophy case after its first year of competition, the 星空传媒 Centurions men鈥檚 golf team is looking to make that a trend.听

Last year, 星空传媒 earned a first-place tie at the National Junior College Athletics Association鈥檚 Region XII Championships, and with four returning players, along with two freshmen, Centurions Head Coach Doug Harkema and Assistant Coach Zach Gascoyne are looking forward to another successful season.听

鈥淲ith my great assistant coach, we really work well together,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淲e sort of came up with the definition we鈥檙e after as a team, what kind of skills and what kind of people we鈥檙e after, and I think we鈥檝e done that very well.鈥�听

What Harkema loves about his current team is that not only are they good players, but they鈥檙e good characters, too, which, for him, will help with forming a team concept, much like a basketball team, even though the sport of golf is based on individual performance.听听

鈥淥ur motto is 鈥榯o play for each other,鈥欌�� Harkema said. 鈥淲ith golfing being an individual sport, it can be difficult at times for a player. But I want our guys to know that when you have a bad day on the course, you鈥檙e going to have a teammate play for that player that day.鈥�听

Outside of golf, Harkema has been involved in basketball, mostly as a high school referee, and he loves the team concept the sport of basketball shows, which is why he is touting a team effort with his golf team.听

鈥淚 coached high school golf but I鈥檓 also a basketball guy, so I鈥檓 trying to bring back that team concept in an individual sport,鈥� he said.听

This year鈥檚 Centurions team includes sophomore Ryan Clingenpeel, of East Lansing, sophomore Jerald Brownell, of Cedar Springs, players from Holt, brothers Ethan and Zach Johnson, both sophomores, along with their cousin, Mason Blair, a freshman, and freshman Kenny Mitchell, of Cedar Springs.听

Harkema said he considers all his players as leaders but the one who would stand out as a team captain would be Ethan Johnson.听

鈥淗e really cares about everyone, he鈥檚 all about what we鈥檙e trying to do,鈥� said Harkema, pointing out that Ethan was one of his first recruits when he became head coach at 星空传媒, which reinstated its athletics program after a 40-year hiatus last year. 鈥淓than has done a wonderful job of keeping guys together and focusing on their tasks.鈥�听

Harkema also mentioned Clingenpeel, who he knew when he was coaching in high school.听

鈥淗e鈥檚 a 24-year-old player for us and he really wanted to compete so he came here,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good one.鈥�听

Zach Johnson, who was named Lansing State Journal鈥檚 Golfer of the Year in his senior year at Holt, is excited to get this season going knowing his team has a chance to repeat as regional champions.听

鈥淥ur main hitting place at school, there鈥檚 a whiteboard that has 鈥榳in regionals鈥� on it,鈥� Zach said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our main goal this season.鈥�听

With the team finally getting off the training simulator and getting outside to start practice this past Friday, Zach said he鈥檚 eager to get the season underway.听

鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to this season probably because our team knows that, at every invitational we go to, we have a chance to win it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his past fall we did pretty good, and just knowing our team, I feel pretty confident our team can go into these tournaments and play.鈥�听

Zach said the great thing about this team, which may be key to their overall success, is a bad day for one player won鈥檛 sink the team鈥檚 chances.听

鈥淭he depth of our team is key,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have so much talent that if someone has a bad day, another player can step in and pick up the slack.鈥�听

Harkema promotes team chemistry but also individual freedom, setting up a system where his players can set their own goals.听听

鈥淲e let them thrive at what they do instead of putting little goals in front of them that could get in the way of that,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淲e free them up to play the game and let their talent take over.鈥�听

星空传媒 begins its season competing in a two-day Commemorative Invitational at Hocking College in Ohio, March 23-24.听

Zach said the team plans to go down earlier to allow for some team bonding, especially with the two new freshmen on the team 鈥� Mitchell and Blair.听

鈥淚 think we need to spend as much time as possible together to form a good bond,鈥� Zach said. 鈥淎s we keep playing, the new guys will start fitting in and get what we鈥檙e trying to do. That spring break trip will help.鈥�听