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OCT.
3-4 — Goshen Ends Season With Highlights At MCC's
Squad shoots
season-low score on final 18; Orrick ends career with best tally |
Peru, IN — Senior Adam Orrick
was hitting seven iron at the Rock Hollow Golf Course driving range
early Monday morning, preparing for the ensuing 54-hole Mid-Central
Conference Championship tournament. He hit a well-struck shot with
a perfect amount of draw, only it was slightly different than any
seven iron he had ever hit before.
His clubhead came off the shaft upon impact, whistling as it flew
nearly 100 yards out into the driving range.
It’s a good thing it wasn’t a sign of things to come.
Goshen concluded its 2005 Fall season at the inaugural conference
championships, shooting a new team low while hitting several personal
marks, greatly pleasing head coach Cory Furman in the process.
“This weekend was probably the most enjoyable time I’ve
had as the golf coach here,” Furman said. “We were
able to play some of our best golf of the season on a tough course,
and these guys made the entire tournament such a fun, fun experience.
I wouldn’t want to be with any other group of people during
this event.”
Goshen got incrementally better as the two-day event wore on, shooting
team scores of 371, 378 and 348 — the last being nine shots
better than the team’s previous best on the season (a 357
at Huntington University’s invitational on Sept. 30, click
here for article).
The MCC Championship Tournament — in its first year of existence — consisted
of a consecutive 36 holes on Monday and another 18 on Tuesday.
The mega-tournament replaced four separate 18-hole tournaments
throughout the regular season, in hopes of making the conference
championship a more prominent entity.
“The league coaches decided that they wanted the MCC Championships
to resemble a true championship format, being more like what you’d
see at the NAIA Regional level or the NCAA Division I level,” Furman
said. “In my opinion, that ideal was accomplished.”
The Leafs took to Rock Hollow Sunday afternoon for a practice round,
then laced up the softspikes for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start Monday
morning. With temperatures in the high 80’s and mid-summer
like humidities, Furman said that Monday was taxing on all participating
golfers.
“The one thing we couldn’t have predicted was the weather,” Furman
said. “It wasn’t as bad as if it were raining the entire
time, but it felt like mid-August on the course. Trying to carry
your bag and walk 36 holes without a break is tough, but in that
heat and humidity it was a flat-out chore.”
Goshen’s scores reflected that, as the team shot its highest
mark of the season (a 378) on Monday’s second 18 holes. The
Leafs first 18 of the day wasn’t much better (371), leaving
the team with a sour taste in its mouth as it headed back for the
hotel Monday night.
“I think we were all a little disappointed that we didn’t
fare any better than we did on Monday,” Furman said. “We
had a good practice round on Sunday and I thought we had figured
out the greens and layout. For whatever reason, we didn’t
do as well as we thought we would.”
Junior Joel Kauffman and sophomore Ryan DeYoung both had good starts
Monday (an 82 and 81, respectively), but both faltered a bit on
the last leg of the 36 hole marathon. Kauffman regrouped to post
an 86, while DeYoung struggled to a 95, his highest score of the
season.
“Joel was fortunate to put up an 86 after his front nine
on the second 18,” Furman said. “Ryan was really displeased
with his score, though. It was a fluke of a score, and he knew
it.”
With the team wrapping up its season Tuesday, Furman got its most
impressive result. Kauffman equaled his season-low with a sweet
round of 78, while DeYoung bounced back to fire an 82. The story
of the tournament came from Orrick, however, as the senior walk-on
fired an 88, his all-time personal best score and only the second
time he had broken the 100 barrier. Orrick’s pervious best
score was a 94 at the Huntington invitational. He never shot below
100 as a junior.
“I can’t tell you how exciting it was to witness Adam’s
finish,” Furman said. “Late Monday night, he told me
he wanted to break 90 in his final collegiate match. I appreciated
his focus, but I had my doubts with us playing such a tough and
demanding course as Rock Hollow. He stuck with it and played probably
the best 18 holes of his life. That’s really what it’s
all about.”
Goshen’s final tally was not good enough to slip past Grace
College in the team standings, as the squad finished in ninth place
overall. Marian College won the tournament championship, its eighth
consecutive MCC title. For complete individual scores and team
finishes, click here.
Goshen concludes its season with the tournament. Check back to
this website often for complete off-season news.
Goshen Results
Mid-Central Conference Championships
Rock Hollow Golf Course
GOSHEN COLLEGE – (371/378/348) Kauffman, 82/86/78, 82
avg.;
DeYoung,
81/95/82, 86 avg.; Springer, 107/97/100, 101.3 avg.; Orrick, 103/100/88, 97 avg.;
Leichty,
112/109/105, 108.7 avg.;
Roth,
105/103/105,
104.3 avg. |
  Senior
Adam Orrick
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