Take out last year’s default entry as hosts, and it’s been five years since Medicine Hat College qualified a full men’s golf team to nationals.
After the opening weekend of their season, this year’s Rattlers have every reason to think they can return.
The five-man team of Mat Chapdelaine, Chase Broderson, Caleb Kinch, Kent Lesko and Derek Whitson finished third out of five teams at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference North Regional tournament this past weekend at RedTail Landing at the Edmonton International Airport.
Their combined score of 23-over 599 through two rounds – with the top four scores per day counting – was four back of Augustana and 11 behind SAIT.
The top two teams at conference championships later this month will earn spots at nationals in Quebec. Medicine Hat has sent individual men and plenty of women’s teams in recent years, but finally have the depth necessary to be in the hunt.
“We used this weekend as a measuring stick, see where we’re at as a team compared to other teams and then see where your game’s at individually,” said head coach Dillon Batsel. “I was happy how we played
“If that’s what’s to come I think we have a pretty good team this season.”
Meanwhile, the Rattlers women including Nicole Schultz, Sierra Zukowski and Ciara Bonogofski tied SAIT for second at 59-over 347 (with two rounds counting per day), 28 shots back of Concordia.
Though Whitson is the captain, his rounds of 78 and 82 were far from the men’s team lead. That honour went to rookie Chapdelaine, who shot 75 and 71 on the par-72 layout at RedTail to finish fifth overall in the individual standings.
“I really do expect to see even more things like that and better,” said Batsel, noting the rookies have plenty of tournament experience as juniors. “It was amazing to see Mat shoot the first under-par round of the year.”
Broderson, second as an individual last year with Red Deer, was ninth with rounds of 73 and 75. Kinch, another rookie, shot 76 and 73 to sit 10th, while Lesko shot 82 and 80.
MacEwan University’s Justin Berget won by a shot over two-time defending ACAC champion Michael Harrison of Augustana. He had rounds of 70 and 69.
Concordia’s Kennedy Turcotte ran away with the women’s individual victory, shooting rounds of 74 and 76. SAIT’s Carey McLean was second, 13 shots back. Schultz (83-88) was fourth, Zukowski (91-85) fifth and Bonogofski (109-111) 15th.
The Rattlers head to the South Regional this weekend at Valley Ridge in Calgary.
