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CU golf ends season, Svajlen advances
AUSTIN, Texas (May 7) – After a very impressive 2008 campaign, the Cameron Aggie men’s golf team ended their season today at the NCAA South/South Central Super Regional Championships. CU had advanced to the event after winning the eighth Lone Star Conference title in school history a few weeks ago in Thackerville, Oklahoma. This week’s event was played at the Grey Rock Golf Club in Austin, Texas. Cameron won the event last season.
“We were trying to slip in (to nationals) with a strong performance today, but didn’t get it,” Head Coach Rick Goodwin said. “We knew what we had to do but we couldn’t make any putts. We had a good tournament and a great season, all things considered, especially after winning the conference tournament.”
The Cameron men today finished in 3rd place in the South Central Regional standings, and finished tied in 9th place in the South/South Central Super Regional combined standings. CU’s combined team score was 879 (287-294-298, +27) at the three-round tournament.
“The bottom line is that we played really well after a bad weather delay, and we did really well when you take into account all the added stress,” Coach Goodwin said. “It was a very long first day, and we never got it going yesterday. Today we had our backs against the wall and couldn’t come from behind.”
Cameron’s finish eliminates the Aggies from any further team appearances this season, but one Aggie will continue the 2008 season as an individual: junior Peter Svajlen.
Svajlen continued his incredible season this week with an outstanding finish at the Super Regionals. He finished the three-round tournament with an overall score of 208 (68-70-70, -5), good enough to qualify him for the 2008 NCAA National Championship tournament in Houston, Texas (May 14-17). Svajlen’s score garnered him 1st place honors in the South Central bracket, and third-place honors in the overall Super Regional tournament.
The Bratislava, Slovakia, native finished the South Central portion of the tournament with top par-four scoring average (3.85, -5), the third-best par-five scoring average (4.67, -3), and the fifth-best par-three scoring average (3.25, +3). Svajlen also finished with the second-most birdies (11) and the fifth-most pars (37) in the South Central bracket.
Svajlen can advance without the rest of the Cameron squad since he was the top finisher not on a team that qualified for the national tournament as an entire team. St. Edward’s University won the South Central bracket with an overall score of 841 (278-280-283, -11), while the University of West Florida won the South bracket with an overall score of 840 (279-279-282, -12).
Senior Cane Shumaker also had a very impressive tournament for the Aggies as he finished the event in 16th in Cameron’s regional. His three-round score was 221 (73-77-74, +8). Shumaker also recorded the fifth-best par-four scoring average (4.03, +1) and the fifth-most pars (37). The event was Shumaker’s final as an Aggie golfer as he is the lone senior on this year’s squad.
Sophomores Robbe Trout and Michael Lee finished just three shots apart in a tie for 21st and 27th place, respectively. Trout shot an overall score of 224 (73-77-74, +11) while Lee turned in a 227 (76-72-79, +14). The duo each finished tied for the fifth-best par-three scoring average (3.25, +3), with Trout also recorded the fifth-best par-five scoring average (4.89, -1).
Additionally, Trout finished with the fourth-most birdies (9) and the tenth-most pars (32). Lee on the other hand recorded the fifth-most pars (37).
The final Aggie to make the trip for CU was sophomore Brett Leavell. Leavell finished the Super Regional event in 42nd place with an overall score of 233 (78-76-79, +20).
As mentioned previously, this week’s Super Regional event will end the 2007-2008 season for the Aggie men’s golf team. Peter Svajlen will advance as an individual to next week’s National Championship tournament. Fans will be able to tune into Svajlen’s progress by visiting the Cameron Athletics website (goaggies.cameron.edu) and following along with the live updating statistics provided by Golf Stat.
“Winning the Super Regionals two years in a row is just one of those things that is very hard to do,” Coach Goodwin said. “The kids gave it a shot but we didn’t make birdies; you have to make birdies to win an event like this. Overall though it was a good tournament and a great season for the Aggie men’s golf program.”
Head women's golf coach Rick Goodwin filled in for head men's golf coach Jerry Hrnciar throughout the tournament while Coach Hrnciar was unavailable; hence the above quotes from Coach Goodwin.
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