Weather delays golf

By Noah Lipman

Poor weather conditions delayed the start of the spring season for the Hood College golf team, but the team began play on Monday.

After some promising performances in the fall portion of their schedule, Blazers team members said they are excited for the upcoming events.

The team was scheduled to begin the second half of its season on March 18 at the York College Invitational, but the event was cancelled due to weather. The Blazers participated in their first event of the year on Monday in the SU Spring Invitational.

The Blazers finished third out of seven teams in the event, which is better than any of their finishes in the fall season. Freshman Andy Baker finished highest among Hood’s players, finishing fifth out of 34 participants.

Baker is not the only freshman who is expected to play a large role on this year’s young squad.

This year’s Blazers team is made up of five freshman and just three upperclassmen. However, the coaches and players said they are confident in their abilities, and believe the team will only get better.

Freshman Zach Scheuerman, who is also a captain on Hood’s first baseball team, said he understands the struggles that come with being a young team. “I like our depth and future. The team is definitely on the rise and has guys who can seriously play six or seven deep on this team. A lot of the talent is young and should be getting better for the next 3 years,” he said.

Scheuerman and his teammates are not using their lack of experience as an excuse. They have high goals set for their upcoming events and expect to be successful this season.

“I expect us to finish in the top three a few times this year and a few individuals to win outright,” Scheuerman said.

While these may seem like lofty expectations for a team that finished towards the bottom of most events in the fall, Scheuerman is not the only one who believes in this team.

Coach Chad Dickman joked about the team’s role as a “bottom-dweller” in the MAC conference the last few years, but said he’s excited about the team’s potential. “Our goal this season is to finish in the top half of all the matches that we play in,” Dickman said.

Dickman said he doesn’t see the age of the Blazers team as a negative and is excited about the amount of young talent on the team. “Our older guys have done a great job in welcoming the new guys and accepting them into the program,” he said. “They’ve been like big brothers, offering them advice here and there, and that’s really helped out.”

The Blazers’ second-year coach also said he believes that the addition of the team’s new assistant coach, Ethan Lester, will help the team tremendously. Lester is the coach at Middletown High School and general manager of the Maryland National Golf Club.

Coach Lester has helped the team gain access to new facilities and resources. Dickman says, “Ethan is also a really good teacher of the game and has already helped a few of our guys alter their swing with positive results.”

Dickman and his young Blazers squad said they are ready to continue their success on April 6 at the Stevenson Spring Invitational.