Spring 2003
Preview
After a very successful fall season which included six tournament wins including the NAIA Region 7 Championship and a berth in this spring’s NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship, the St. Ambrose Men’s Golf Team looks forward with much confidence to the upcoming Spring 2003 season.
Currently ranked 13th in the NAIA Men’s Golf National Rankings, the Fighting Bee’s will look to improve on their team best 6th place finish at Tulsa Country Club in l994 when they tee it up at the 52nd Annual NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship May 20-23, 2003, at Matanzas Woods Golf Club, Palm Coast, Florida. This will be the Fighting Bee’s 15th appearance in the men’s golf national championship since 1982.
This springs squad will be lead by NAIA Region 7 2002/2003 Player of the Year Darren Hince (Junior, Carol Stream, IL). Hince won the regional championship in the fall by four strokes over fellow SAU teammates Brian Stamberger and Joe Demory. All three players were named to the NAIA All Region 7 Team. Hince was also medalist at the William Penn Invitational for the second year in a row and finished 4th in the Midwest Classic Conference Tournament and was named to the All Conference Team for the second consecutive year. Hince is currently ranked as the number 45 player in the nation in the 2003 Golfstat NAIA individual national rankings. Hince had a competitive stroke average of 72.5 in the fall.
Brian Stamberger (Senior, Mendota, IL) who returned to the St. Ambrose golf squad after a one-year lay-off also had a very successful fall. Stamberger was medalist at the St. Ambrose Invitational and finished tied for 2nd at the NAIA Regional and 3rd at the conference tournament. Stamberger, who was NAIA Region 7 Player of the Year in 2001, was named to both the NAIA Region 7 and Midwest Classic Conference 1st Team. Stamberger had a competitive stroke average of 73.2 in the fall.
Joe Demory (Sophomore, Sterling, IL) finished tied for 2nd in the regional tournament and 4th at the conference championship. He was named to both the NAIA All Region Team and to the Midwest Classic All Conference Team for the second year in a row. Demory was the 2001/2002 Midwest Classic Conference Men’s Golf Player of the Year. Demory had a competitive stroke average of 74.4 in the fall.
Rounding out the top five players on this spring’s Fighting Bee Squad will be Andrew Howard (Senior, Marshalltown, IA) and Jason McGrane (Sophomore, Guttenberg, IA) Howard had a competitive stroke average of 75.8 in the fall, finishing 3rd individually at the Blackhawk Invitational and 5th at the St. Ambrose Invitational. McGrane had a competitive stroke average of 77.0 in the fall and had a best individual finish of 5th at the Loras Invitational. McGrane was the NAIA Region 7 Player of the Year in 2001/2002.
Other players who will see action this spring include Andy Sirois (Senior, Ft. Madison, IA), Ryan Anglin (Senior, Dubuque, IA), Matt Rupiper (Sophomore, Henry, IL), Cody Flatt (Sophomore, Monmouth, IL), Sunil Taneja (Sophomore, Peoria, IL), Brandon Mills (Sophomore, Dubuque, IA), Greg Lupton (Sophomore, Minooka, IL), and Joe VanderBeke (Freshman, East Moline, IL).
St. Ambrose will compete at the Monmouth Invitational (April 3), Augustana Invitational (April 4-5), Loras Invitational (April 8), Western Illinois Invitational (April 11-12), Mt. Mercy/Amana Colonies Invitational (April 15), University of St. Francis Invitational (April 22), the Quad City Collegiate (April 28) and the NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship (May 20-23).
St. Ambrose will be the defending champions in two of the eight tournaments on the Spring schedule (Mt. Mercy & the Quad City Collegiate).