Johnnies place fourth in Illinois Wesleyan Invite

The No. 10 nationally ranked St. John’s University golf team (1-0) opened up the spring season at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational last Friday and Saturday at Weibring Golf Club on the campus of Division I Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. The Johnnies have been led by seniors Nate Loxtercamp and Mark Longhenry.

Overall, SJU golf has continued a winning tradition after qualifying for back-to-back NCAA Division III Championships. Last year’s event was hosted at Keene Trace Golf Course in Nicholasville, Ky.

This year’s team returns the likes of two first-team All-Americans seniors Blake Schuler and Sam Berger, Mason Sunder and junior Andrew Boemer.

Head coach Chris Howe said he was happy with how the team rebounded from day one to day two on the IWU trip. Howe and Loxtercamp commented about how the team got used to the playing service, and the competition which included Division I and Division II golfers who have had past experiences playing at Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan.

“The trip went well. It was a difficult golf course against a great field, and we competed hard. Day one didn’t go as well as we wanted, but we made a big push in the final round. It was great to see Nate win the event as well. We have some things to work on the next two weeks to make sure we are ready to play great in the last two events,” Howe said.

Howe made it clear that the team needed to take every shot on a step-by-step basis and not let the score affect how they approached every hole.

“Going into the event, we just talked about going out and giving ourselves the best possible chance to have to win. We talked about playing smart and reminded them that there are no pictures on a scorecard. I just told them to fight for every shot and stay mentally tough. We did a pretty good job of that this weekend,” Howe said.

As a team, SJU placed fourth out of 37 teams. For the Johnnies, Loxtercamp placed first out of 214 golfers in the field. Longhenry took first place in the full season at the NCAA Division III Preview to finish the fall golf season.

Loxtercamp referenced the tournament as an example of resilience with the invitational being the first taste of competition this spring.

“This was our team’s first spring tournament. We did not play anywhere near our best golf as a team this weekend, but I would say one point of success was our ability to have a strong second day after a tough opening round on Friday,” Loxtercamp said.

Loxtercamp also discussed how the team’s approach helped the Johnnies have a strong regroup on day two of the tournament on a course that was unfamiliar to MIAC schools on a Division I stage.

“We played two courses, and both were very tough if you did not hit your tee shot in the fairway. Most of the holes were tree-lined, and if you missed the fairway, you would have to shape your next shot around multiple trees. The greens on Saturday at Weibring Golf Club were surrounded by a lot of slope, bunkers and thick rough. I think what made me successful was hitting good tee shots and missing my approach shots in spots that were easier to chip from,” Loxtercamp said.

Longhenry wants to build on the momentum he has had in the fall season and carry his play and competitive attitude into the Johnnie’s fall golf season.

“A lot went well for myself. I [was] able to find my game that I had to start the year. My irons and putting are the strengths of my game when I am playing well, and it showed in Las Vegas. The first day was the hardest conditions I have ever played in, and it showed with the scores, but the next two days we were able to fight back and turn in two respectable scores to finish our fall season,” Longhenry said.

Longhenry has set goals for himself as the team begins their spring season with a clean slate.

“The biggest goal is to make it to nationals and win. I want to produce some scores that will help my team get an at-large bid and get back to Las Vegas where I know I can play good golf. Winning the next two tournaments at the Gustavus Adolphus Invitational and SJU Spring Invitational will help our case on getting that at-large bid,” Longhenry said.

The Johnnies will compete at Gustavus Adolphus on April 20-21 and at the home tournament from April 27-28 on the grounds of Wapicada Golf Club and Monticello Country Club.