The St. Edward’s men’s golf team hosted their first tournament of the season as, over two days of play, they placed fifth and ended with a respectable 857 strokes. With consistency being a factor in the team’s play, they look to be in a position to achieve an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

First-year head coach Ryan Hill embarked on his journey earlier this year and he recounts that because of all the hard work that began in August, he is hopeful about the team’s future.

“I knew this team was going to come together in April, and we’ve worked hard to put ourselves in this position. We have some momentum on our side, which is a result of all the work we’ve been doing all year. I think our two seniors Hudson Ross and Andrew Spear are excited about us pursuing an NCAA appearance.”

Although he is still an experienced coach, Hill credits his senior leadership for much of the success they’ve had thus far. In the offseason, Hill looked to expand his roster by bringing in some of his previous players from Concordia — transfers which he also acknowledges for making the smooth transition.

“The leadership of our two seniors, we have a great culture. We have a goal in front of us and we have 12 players and a coach all going for that goal. I brought a new system to St. Ed’s,” Hill said. “Practice was extremely challenging at the start of the year, I brought a whole new culture so it took some time to get used to.”

Junior transfer Ryan McGinley has had a steady season but says that playing at their home course gave him and the team a great advantage. The team hosted the tournament at Onion Creek Country Club, a course that can look deceiving, but McGinley felt comfortable all throughout the tournament.

“Some of our strengths were us knowing around the greens, being able to read the greens during the tournament and being so comfortable with all the shots. Even though some look intimidating, we are used to hitting these shots all year.”

Hill not only has his sights set on the NCAA but also on the individual growth of each one of his players. With only one tournament left before advancing to the conference tournament, Hill is content with his players’ performance throughout the year.

“My goal as a coach is to win NCAA. That’s the ultimate team goal, but also for each player is to improve each semester while they are here, both in the classroom and on the golf course. We’ve achieved that goal. We are nine events into the season, and every player has played in at least two tournaments. To watch the growth of each player has been my biggest joy.”

The team will travel to Horseshoe Bay to partake in the Heartland Conference tournament that is scheduled to go from April 13-16.