The University of Indianapolis Men’s and Women’s golf teams are in full swing for their spring slate. Both teams have been off to a great start with the men’s team placing fourth in the Findley Spring Invitational and the women’s team placing eighth in The BarryU Women’s Invitational, according to the UIndy Athletics.
Fifth-year student CJ Jones is currently competing for the first time this year with the UIndy men’s golf team after transferring from Ball State University, according to the UIndy Athletics. He said the way the season has been going so far, he believes that the team is currently building momentum toward the postseason.
“We’ve had our ups and downs. We won at Findlay and then we’ve had a pretty good start to the year so far,” Jones said. “We just finished fourth at Findley Spring Event this past weekend, and compared to where we were at like midway through the first or second round, compared to where we finish, I would say that we finished the tournament well.”
According to Head Coach Brent Nicoson, both teams are excited and looking forward to continuing their seasons and have positive outlooks on this year’s competition season. He said he is enjoying the leadership and responsibility from the men’s team this year. He said the men’s team has several veteran players who have stepped up to help their younger teammates.
“I’d say, on the men’s side, that leadership has been really, really good. And I don’t know if that surprises me so much because it’s a veteran team,” Nicoson said. “But I’m surprised at how much ownership they’ve taken on the program. They’ve been great leading these younger kids.”
According to Nicoson, the women’s team, on the other hand, is dealing with the absence of teammate Anna Kramer. The team is handling the loss well and is coming together to offset it, Nicoson said.
“I think the thing that surprised me the most is how the girls really rallied around that and came together as a group,” Nicoson said. “Trying to fill her void by committee. Everybody’s doing everything they possibly can to help offset our best player.”
Junior Katelyn Skinner has been playing for the UIndy golf team since her freshman year. Skinner said she is really enjoying the community the women’s golf team has made this year, along with how close they have all become.
“I think we have really created a really good bond with each other; we have really great girls. This is a really, really close team. We’re really good friends. And I think that just creates a really good culture,” Skinner said. “I definitely think that we have really hard-working girls, we have girls that want to be there and want to do well; there’s a lot of drive and motivation behind each and every one of us.”
Skinner said her goals this year are to take things shot by shot while recognizing her teammate’s individualities and values and how they can be invested into the team. She said she believes that even though golf is an individual sport, everyone carries their own abilities, values and importance.
Both teams are preparing for the postseason and looking forward to the competitions that are yet to come. According to Nicoson, he wants both teams to be more relevant at nationals than they were last year.
Jones said he believes the men’s team has a great shot at nationals this year. He said he is proud of all of the work he has seen from everyone on the team in all aspects.
“I would just say I think one of the main things that I’ve been proud about with our team is how hard we are working this season. Whether it’s in the classroom, the weight room, or on the golf course, I think we’ve all put in as much possible effort as we have. I have a good feeling about this next week, and then in our postseason run. I think people will be able to see the fruits of our effort, these next few weeks,” Jones said.
According to UIndy Athletics, the women’s team has placed in the top three, three times this season, while the men’s team has placed top three four times this season. The men’s next tournament is scheduled to take place on April 15, as they will be competing in the GLVC Championships in Indianapolis. The women’s team will be in Columbus, Ohio taking on Lady Buckeye.
