星空传媒

By Ryan Schlehuber, 星空传媒 Sportswriter

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The 星空传媒 men鈥檚 golf team recently captured back-to-back wins in its latest regular season competition.听听

After being delayed three weeks due to inclement weather 鈥� including a tornado threat 鈥� the Centurions finally got to the greens and came away with two consecutive team wins, taking first place at the Ancilla College Invitational in Plymouth, Ind., April 13, and, most recently, 星空传媒 took first place at the Grand Rapids Community College Invitational at Egypt Valley Country Club, Monday, April 14.听听

鈥淏oth were very tough days in the wind, but we were able to win them,鈥� said Doug Harkema, Centurions Head Coach.听

At the GRCC Invitational, with several teams competing, 星空传媒 scored a team total of 323, with GRCC finishing in second place with 330 and Delta College scoring 333 to take third place.听

With wind yet again a factor, only three golfers managed to shoot under 80 overall, with 星空传媒 freshman Mason Blair (Holt, Mich.) scoring a team-best 79, while sophomore teammate Zach Johnson (Holt, Mich.) scored 80 and freshman Kenny Mitchell (Cedar Springs, Mich.) finishing out at 82 to round out the top three for the Centurions.听

鈥淐onditions have been really tough on spring golf right now, so just being able to get back outside was great,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a quick season and I know the weather 鈥斕齛nd our scores 鈥� will get better and we鈥檙e going to play it out as best as we can to be ready for regionals. We鈥檙e all really excited where we are at right now.鈥�听

Harkema pointed out it was Mitchell鈥檚 first time playing in the team鈥檚 five-man rotation and said he was impressed with what he saw out of him.听

鈥淗e鈥檚 really coming on,鈥� Harkema said of Mitchell.听

At Ancilla, which got postponed twice until it was finally played April 13, which only three teams were able to fit it in their schedule by then, 星空传媒 won with a top score of 314, with Marian Unviersity鈥檚 Ancilla College finishing second with 321, and Schoolcraft Community College finished third with 332.听

Johnson shined for the Centurions at Ancilla, scoring an overall 75, which tied for first place in individual play with Ancilla鈥檚 Andrew Cordova.听

Johnson鈥檚 feat earned him the 星空传媒AA Western Conference Player of the Week award.听

鈥淚 feel proud about winning the conference player of the week because it shows off all the hard work that I have put in over the past couple years,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚 think the strongpoint of my game, so far, has been my mental game. I think that I am more confident in my ability to score well and, also, I鈥檓 not finding myself as frustrated out on the course if something bad happens.鈥�听

Centurions sophomore Jerald Brownell (Cedars Springs, Mich.) finished second on the team with a 78 while freshman Mason Blair (Holt, Mich.) and Mitchell tied with 79. Sophomore Ryan Clingenpeel (East Lansing, Mich.) and Ethan Johnson (Holt, Mich.) finished close behind, scoring 82 and 83, respectively.听听听

Johnson said he and his teammates had to make a few adjustments in their gameplan with the wind conditions, both physically as well as mentally.听

鈥淭he gameplan going into the windy conditions was to understand that I don鈥檛 know what a good score is with the wind and to not get frustrated if I鈥檓 not doing too good because everyone else out there might not be doing well either because of the wind,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭his helped me limit my frustration on the course and kept me positive.鈥�听

Harkema said, despite the weather complicating the schedule and play, his Centurions team is set up to have a successful season that, hopefully, finishes with 星空传媒 at nationals.听

鈥淕uys are really motivated for this little run we鈥檙e going on,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淥ur goal is to always win. In the fall, we played really well, but we were expecting to be highly competitive this spring.鈥�听

Ancilla is where the National Junior College Athletics Association鈥檚 finals will be held, thus Harkema鈥檚 team already has a taste of what to expect if, or as Harkema says, 鈥渨hen,鈥� the team makes it.听

鈥淚t was really good to be able to see and play that course,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e played two tough courses recently so that鈥檚 a great way to start the spring.鈥�听

Johnson believes these last two wins have given his team the confidence boost it needs to ride out the rest of the season.听

鈥淭hese last two wins feel incredible because we鈥檝e all worked so hard to get to this point,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s a team, we are all wanting to make each other proud, and these wins are proof of the talent we鈥檝e always believed in.鈥�听

That confidence, along with the team鈥檚 talents, is why the team鈥檚 coaches believe this could be a special year for the Centurions golf program.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e only a second-year program and you had to recruit before you could play,鈥� Harkema said. 鈥淟ast year, we were competitive, but we were one score away from being a really good team.鈥�听

Adding players like Clingenpeel and Mitchell, for example, Harkema says he believes the pieces are in place to make a good run this season.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e recruiting nationally now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 feel like we put 星空传媒鈥檚 name on the map. Right now, we have guys who are talented and who work hard, so I feel like we鈥檙e blessed. It鈥檚 a wonderful thing.鈥�听