As spring approaches, so does the spring sport season for the Red Raiders. One team in particular, the men’s golf team, is currently gearing up for a promising year. Their season began on Feb. 26 at the 4-HIM Classic in Mansfield, TX where the men’s team captured third place out of 13 teams. However, this is just the beginning.
Head coach of the men’s golf team, Aaron Aberson said, “the team’s goal each year will be to win the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). We know that if we are able to do that, we earn an automatic berth to the National Tournament and we can reset goals from there.”
The GPAC tournament is scheduled for April 29-30, but the team is constantly training in preparation. These athletes will have several opportunities to compete before the GPAC tournament, including the Raider Invitational on April 15 at the Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City.
In preparation for these upcoming competitions, Aberson says the men’s team is focusing on “doing the small things to improve each area of their individual golf games.” While each athlete plays individually, they work together to improve their skills and compete as one team. “Each member of our team has strengths and weaknesses, so it is improving on areas of weaknesses that will ultimately prove whether we can compete at the highest levels of the NAIA,” Aberson said.
This year will be particularly interesting for the men’s golf team since the team makeup looks very different from past season. The constant change in players from season to season creates new challenges for both the players and the coaches, but it also creates new opportunities for the individual players and the team as a whole to compete at a new level.
In regard to the new dynamic of the men’s golf team this year, Aberson said, “It has been fun to see them embrace their roles and see their desire to contribute to our team’s success.”
The men’s golf team competes next at the Osage National Spring Invitation on March 25-26 in Lake of the Ozarks, MO.
