At the beginning of the golf season, the Shepherd University Rams didn’t seem to be very good. Things were looking fairly bleak. The team performed terribly at the Hal Hansen Invitational, placing 10th out of 11 teams, and did mediocre at the Glade Springs Intercollegiate Championship, finishing in 8th place out of 16 institutions. However, things got much better in late September and October. Shepherd finished in second at the Northern Mountain East Conference Regional. Based on their most recent performance, it looks like the Rams found some consistency at the end of their campaign.
At the Mountain East Conference Championships, the Rams once again posted a second place finish. Considering where they were after the Hal Hansen, you’d have to think the Rams were enthralled to end the season in the manner in which they did. Constant improvement is what you’d like to see in any sport team. Whether they hit a golf ball, shoot a basketball, slap a puck, or kick a soccer ball, getting better is the most vital aspect to being successful.
Not one member of the Rams finished individually inside the top 10 at the MEC Championship. However, three golfers finished inside the top 20 and all five of the Rams were inside the top 30. Robert Fleming of Charles Town, W.Va. posted a three-day score of 236 to place eleventh. Chris Ferrell finished tied for twelfth, posting a 237. Rounding out the teens was Joe Burkinshaw, who finished in nineteenth. His three-day total was 241. Bryan Milburn and Zach Weber finished 24th and 29th respectively, finishing 245 and 247.
Concord won the MEC Championship, while their golfer Evan Muscari finished tied with Fairmont’s Jess Ferrell for the individual win with a three-day score of 225. Charleston finished in third, Notre Dame of Ohio finished in fourth and West Liberty rounded out the top five finishers. Glenville State finished in last place, posting a team three-day total of 1055.
Looking to next season, the team has quite a few players coming back. Only Zach Weber and Bryan Milburn are departing the team, as they have seen their eligibility run its course. However, if the end of the season is any indication for Shepherd, next season should be one of hope and success for the Rams. It seems that moving into a new conference has certainly helped and improved the program.
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