Golfers Await New Season

Author: Jeff Martin

The Middlebury Panther golf team is eagerly awaiting a spring thaw so they can pick up the bags and begin their spring tournament schedule. The Panthers had a strong fall season and with the renovation of the Duke Nelson facility they have been working hard in preparation for their upcoming spring schedule.

The Panthers will participate in at least three tournaments during the approaching spring season. Because of weather, the team does not begin it's competition schedule until mid-April. The three set tournaments will also be held within the time frame of two weeks and will include the Skidmore Tournament, the Williams Tournament, and the District Shootout hosted by Williams. The opening round will be played at the notoriously arduous Links at MacGregor, where team member Ryan Simper '03 looks to avenge a personal vendetta. Middlebury will not host any spring tournaments at the Ralph Myhre Golf Course, where this past fall they finished fourth and fifth during the ECAC Championship and the Duke Nelson Invitational, respectively.

The squad has been working hard over the winter months as usual, and there has been an added excitement around the clubhouse surrounding the new facilities and technology in the Nelson Recreation Center. The north end of the former Duke Nelson Arena now features a state-of-the-art golf area, complete with a hitting net, video camera and computer for swing analysis. These new technologies, graciously donated by alumni, enable team members to compare their own swings with those of professionals by superimposing the two images together onto one computer screen. Simper had this to say about the new golf training equipment, "It shows just about everything, it is really cool. I can even compare my swing with that of Tiger Woods."

The returning players from the fall roster include: Damon Gacicia '02, Cary Costello '02, Grant Theis '02, Niklas Lindquist '02, Simper, Brad Tufts '03, Dave Greiner '03, Chuck Clement '04, Ryan Birtwell '04 and Tim Quinn '04, who has been working incredibly hard in the off-season. Joining the squad is February first-year Dan Smarg. The team is expecting great production from all players, particularly with the late-development of off-season injuries to key members.

Gacicia, team captain, has been struck with an unfortunate shoulder injury, which may keep him out of the lineup for over a month. Additionally, Clement is recovering from the removal of his appendix, but he is expected to begin swinging again over spring break. This noted, the team needs large contributions from players that have not typically been in the top scoring five, as they set out to finish their two-semester season on a high note.

The team will continue their rigorous training over the course of the next month in the confines of the Nelson Recreation Center, until weather permits them to move outside. Part of the team will be traveling together over spring break, while the remainder of the group will be working out individually. After the break, the team anticipates some practice rounds in New York State, before moving to the Nashobe Golf Course in Brandon, Vermont, and eventually onto their home course. Gacicia summed up the aspirations of the entire team, "I think we will do fine this spring. Everyone has been working tremendously hard, and we are all excited for the culmination of winter."