Coming off a historic, record-breaking showing at Strawberry Creek, the NCC men’s golf team looks to continue improving.
Last season at the CCIW Championships at Whitetail Ridge Golf Club, the Cardinals posted their lowest stroke total in eight years. They finished with an impressive 18-hole team score of 310, establishing a new era in Cardinal golf. After that showcase of skills last year and an impressive start to this year’s campaign, the Cardinals look to make some noise in the CCIW.
A new era
With the hiring of Head Coach Alyssa Guss, ’11, last year, the Cardinals look to usher in a new era for the Cardinal golf program. The splendid showing at last year’s CCIW Championship was just the start of what would eventually become a new goal for the Cards to set in the next season.
It became very clear that they needed to set high goals following their 2022 season finish. They decided to turn heads with their performance during the 2023 season.
“Everyone on the team knew that the bar needed to be raised,” said Guss as she talked about what it took to accomplish their lofty goals. “I know the commitment and determination this group has, and I am excited to continue watching them achieve more.”
With the goals set and the off-season work finished, it was time to get the fall season underway.
History makers
The fall season began at Aurora Country Club. The Cardinals participated in the 36-hole Double Gun Classic, where the team finished 14th out of 19th. Brendan Joy, ’26, and Mitchell Mazzei, ’27, led the way for the Cards. They both tied for 17th out of the 96 golfers who participated. It was an overall respectable showing, but the Cardinals wanted more. This in mind, they looked ahead to the Firebird Fall Classic.
On a sunny weekend in Kenosha, the Cardinals did something they hadn’t done since 2015. They broke a team score of 600. The Cardinals finished the weekend with a team score of 598, surpassing the previous NCC standard of 600 set in Carthage’s Tim Kopka Memorial Tournament Sept. 11-12, 2015.
The Cardinals ranked as high as fourth in the standings, something the team also hadn’t done since the Millikin University Fall Classic Oct. 3, 2015. Mazzei, once again, led the way, along with Zachary Lunde, ’25. They both shot a one-under-par score of 71.
“It was a really great experience,” said Mazzei as he remembered his round at Strawberry Creek. “We knew we shot pretty low on the first day so we actually looked up the records that night, so we knew we could be the first to break 600, so we focused up and got there,” said Mazzei.
Lunde also reminisced about breaking the record:
“I tried to stay away from looking at scores on day two and just tried to post the best score I could to help the team. When I got done and realized that we broke the record, it was a pretty cool feeling. I have seen everyone on our team putting in the work at practice and just seeing that this work is paying off was a good feeling for the whole team,” said Lunde.
In the ‘Cards’
Following that historic showing at Strawberry Creek, the Cardinals still have a full slate of opportunities to prove themselves this fall. Sept. 22, the Cards will travel to Kansasville, WI for the Midwest Region Classic. This is hosted by Benedictine University at Brighton Dale Golf Course. Sept. 26, the Cards will play in the CCIW Fall Preview at Weaver Ridge Golf Course in Peoria. Here, they look to test their skills against the rest of the CCIW.
Oct. 9-10, they play in the Wabash College Invitational at Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis, IN. This rounds out the fall schedule.
Even though the Cards have had an impressive start to the season, this is only the start, and there remains a long way to go.
“Breaking the school record was very rewarding; however, I know that everyone on our team is striving for more,” said Lunde, “As the season progresses, I would just look for more tournaments like this. Sure, we had one good tournament, but can we keep this momentum going.”
Mazzei agrees with him.
“You can expect some greatness out of us. We’ve got a good team atmosphere, and we are going to try to keep rolling,” said Mazzei.
There is no doubt that these Cards are ready to show what they’ve got.
