By Briana Oldham
With a team of seven, the Cleveland State University golf team is looking to make a big impact on the season this year. Seniors Nick Infanti and Anton Krecic lead the charge while sophomores Jules Blakely, Zach Robbins and Zak Supelak help set the tone. Freshmen Miles DeMuesy and Jack Hanus round out the team for the 2018-2019 season and are welcomed additions as the Vikings embark on another year under head coach Steve Weir.
Golf has a lot of regulations, which can make it tough to follow. From scoring to the rules, it presents a challenge when watching. In short, each player seeks to hit the ball the least number of times.
The Vikings will be participating in four events starting with the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate Invitational in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Based on the fall portion of the season, the Vikings look to be dominant in a way they have not been before.
Understanding that need to look back at past performances in order to help improve their future performances, Robbins knows that they have plenty of room for improvement.
“The fall season had its ups and downs,” Robbins said. “As a team, we definitely did not reach our ceiling.”
Knowing what needs to be done and the task at hand, Robbins remains confident in his teammates and their abilities despite a past riddled with a little adversity. He went on to explain that the team dealt with hardships in part due to injuries and inexperience, but feels that after five consecutive championships, they will seek a sixth this April.
Early in the fall season the team participated in the Raising Cane’s EKU Intercollegiate Invitational in Richmond, Kentucky. There, Cleveland State tied for fourth with Robbins being tied for 13 at +3 on day one. The team went on to fall in ranking as the tournament progressed but remained focused on the next event a couple weeks later.
The momentum off the first few competitions of the season propelled the young men in the right direction as they geared up to host the Tom Tontimonia Invitational. Though at a new location, everyone was abuzz just the same.
Most of the excitement was also due to the name change. Tontimonia was an athletics administrator for 38 years at Cleveland State and had a hand in shaping the Viking golf programs during that time.
At the Invitational, the team took third of 11 teams. After day one, Supelak was tied for third at -2, just one shot off the lead. He was joined by Robbins in the top 10, when he posted a -1 to be tied for sixth. Both stayed hot on day two, with Supelak finishing tied for seventh, while Robbins surged ahead to finish tied for second.
As the spring season is set to begin, the Vikings were picked second in the Horizon League Preseason Men’s Golf Poll. As five-time defending Horizon League champions, this recognition gives the team a huge boost. The Vikings are hoping to receive a high rank to start, as the opener is right around the corner.
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