Golf stays on top of MIAC with 40-stroke win at Twin Cities Classic

The SJU golf team hasn’t taken their fall season lightly.

The Johnnies have had a dominant team run throughout September. Despite harsh conditions this past weekend at the Twin Cities Classic, the Johnnies took home their third first-place finish of the season. Junior Sam Berger took first place individually, making it his first collegiate win.

“The Sunday and Monday rounds in those winds… I’ve been coaching for almost thirty years, and I don’t know if I’ve even seen winds like that. [Berger] played his tail off,” Head Golf Coach Bob Alpers said.

Berger was not the only one who played well. Juniors Blake Schuler and Nate Loxtercamp as well as senior Thomas Gutzmer all finished in the top 11. The Johnnie golfers have shown enough talent to have someone different step up every week. The athletes on the team recognize the different talents each of them has.

“Not a lot of teams have more than five guys capable of shooting under par, but we do here at SJU,” Gutzmer said.

Not only does this team have talent across the board, but they all seem to get along as well.

“We are all very good friends, so it is easy to cheer for one another,” Loxtercamp said. “The depth our team has is awesome, and playing and practicing with talented teammates allows us to learn from each other.”

Alpers has loved seeing his group support one another every week.

“Berger wins by a stroke or two over Schuler,” Alpers said in regards to the Twin Cities Classic. “The first guy to run up to him, hug him and congratulate him is Schuler, and that’s how they’ve been the whole time.”

While the team realizes their potential, they all have one goal in mind: becoming MIAC champions. For the Johnnies, that is not an unrealistic goal. As back-to-back MIAC champions and with three first-place finishes this year, the team knows they’re capable of going for their third straight MIAC championship.

“There is only one expectation heading into next week’s MIAC Championship, and that is to win,” Gutzmer said. “We’ve had a strong fall showing, but a lot of teams can run out of juice by October.”

As the Johnnies prepare for the week, they’re not going to overdo it physically. Alpers intentionally does this to get the players ready mentally.

“It’s a fine balance between staying sharp and over-playing,” Alpers said. “I want them to get to the golf course excited, refreshed and ready to play.”

It isn’t all about practicing the basics and staying in form, though. Studying for the Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids is a huge part of their preparation throughout the week.

“We’re gonna do everything this week with that golf course in mind,” Alpers said.

With the team being consistent and successful in their season thus far, they do not want to overthink this weekend despite bigger stakes. Keeping their plan and tactics is vital to their success.

“Coach Alpers’ coaching tactics have not changed going into the weekend,” Loxtercamp said. “We are going into the tournament with the same mindset we have had the entire fall season.”

The Johnnies have a shortened week of preparation for the conference championships this weekend due to the Twin Cities Classic going into Monday. For Gutzmer, this may be one of his last times participating in the MIAC Championships; however, he is still undecided about returning for a fifth year and using his COVID eligibility.

“It is a little bittersweet knowing this could be my last MIAC Championship, but there’s a bigger picture than just my senior year,” Gutzmer said. “I know we have a strong team that is capable of some special things, so collectively we’re just focused on getting better every day and controlling what we can control.”

The MIAC Championships will go from Saturday, Oct. 1, through Monday, Oct. 3, in Coon Rapids, Minn. The Johnnies’ opening round will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. Despite the strong season so far, nothing matters heading into the weekend. The Johnnies have a new and big task ahead with high expectations. Alpers had a short yet strong message for the team heading into championship weekend