Winans to nationals for second try
By JJ Ossola
IV Leader Sports editor, May 3, 2007
The Illinois Valley Community College men’s golf
team solidified its position in conference play with their victory at the Sauk
Arrowhead tourney on April 23 with a 305 team score and is second overall in the
conference, trailing Black Hawk by one point. Sophomore Alex Cronin was the
medalist of the tourney, shooting 72, on what Coach Mike Riley said was, “his
best game of the season by far.”
Sophomore Matt Morris finished in second with a score of 74,
and regional qualifier Sophomore Adam Winans placed fourth with 75. Riley said,
“We were hoping to take this momentum over to the Kish tournament [April 26] but
Mother Nature had other plans.”
In what Riley has described as “one of the worst springs ever
for outdoor sports,” the golf time must finish up three more tournaments in the
next two weeks.
With the win, IVCC took a four point lead in the standings
with Highland garnering 12 points, and ahead of Carl Sandberg by 8 points. Riley
said, “I like where we are right now and I think that we can pull ahead and take
first by the end of the season.”
IVCC has not taken first in the last three years, after
winning six years in a row, and are now in their 10 th season in the conference.
Sophomore Winans is upbeat about going to regional play
saying, “I feel really good about my game. I’ve won a couple of tourneys and I
have the experience from last year to go on. I should do alright.”
At the 2006 Nationals, Winans placed 41 st out of a field of
125 golfers. Riley said, “Adam is a regional medalist but he has all the tools
to be an All-American… if he can keep it out of the water.” To which Winans
replied laughingly, “Yeah, that would be a good idea.”
Riley went on, “Right now it’s going to be more of a mental
challenge. He has the experience from last year and he has been really good this
year. We expect good things for him.”
The 2007 National Junior College Athletics Association
Division II Golf championship is held at the Goose Pond Colony Golf course in
Scottsboro, Ala., May 22-25.