After mixed results last month and early this month, the golf team sought to end its season on a high note on Monday and Tuesday at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship.
Although ultimately the Jumbos didn't dominate the course and may not have met their own expectations, their 30th−place finish out of 37 came in the context of a particularly diverse and competitive playing field.
Hosted by The Captains Golf Course in Brewster, Mass., the tournament pitted the Jumbos against 36 other teams in the NEIGA, which is unique for bringing Div. I, II and III schools together.
The University of Rhode Island won the tournament with a two−day total of 585. Tufts' 666 put it in a tie with Brandeis.
Not only was there tough competition from schools in higher divisions, but the Jumbos were forced to battle the books, too. Different from a normal weekend competition, the tournament left the team with very little time between golf, travel and schoolwork.
"It was a tough tournament on a school day," Cal Shapiro, a senior tri−captain, said.
Fellow senior tri−captain Dan Moll also noted that on top of schoolwork, the course itself proved particularly difficult for the team.
"There were tough conditions on the first day," Moll said. "We improved the second day, which was important."
Moll led the team with a two−day total of 159 that tied for 69th overall.
Freshman Sebastian Vik shot a 163, and Shapiro, like fellow senior tri−captain Luke Heffernan, shot a 172 to round out the team's two−day performances.
Vik led the team on Tuesday with an 80, while Moll had the lowest single−day score for the Jumbos with a 78 on Monday.
"Golf is a game of honor," Shapiro said. "Sometimes the game just doesn't go your way."
Adam Vaccari of UConn won the tournament with a combined score of 143, edging Kevin Josephson of Central Connecticut State University on the second hole of a playoff.
After the competition, Shapiro, Moll and Heffernan reflected on the past four years of playing together.
"We have a great atmosphere, a great camaraderie," Shapiro said.
The Jumbos credit their coach, Bob Sheldon, for a great deal of their success over their years as players and during the tournament this week.
"Bob Sheldon put his heart on the line, running around out there for us, and knew exactly what to say to encourage us," Shapiro said.
Looking forward, the Jumbos feel they have a strong core of younger players.
"We have some good young players and will be strong" in future seasons, Moll said.
The current seniors aren't done quite yet, however, and will look to strengthen in the offseason for the spring season.
"We hoped to run with the momentum in the middle of the season," Shapiro said, referring to earlier in the fall.
"Hopefully we can put it together for one last hurrah," he said.
Heffernan agreed.
"We got the feeling like we were gonna kill it," Heffernan said of the middle of the season.
The captains, plus senior Lindsay Walker, have a few final chances to play together and leave their mark on the golf team this spring.
