Golf teams punch tickets to nationals

Oct. 21, 2004
By Dan Tomlin
Sports Editor

It’s tough to be the toast of the town, or of the school for that matter, when you are expected to win.

That’s the catch-22 both the men’s and women’s golf programs have had to deal with for a number of years now.

In almost a mirror Regional Championship, both the Fighting Bees and Queen Bees won their Regional Championships by 25 strokes to advance to the national championship tournament.

For the Queen Bees it was a learning experience as they fielded a team laden with Freshmen and Sophomores. The women ended the season with four tournament victories to go along with two second place finishes and two more third place finishes.

On the season the Queen Bees stroked their way to their third consecutive conference title, annihilating Mt. Mercy by more than 50 strokes.

For head coach Ron Wastyn it’s never just as easy as “business as usual,” for the man who has won conference championships and taken his team to nationals each year he has been head coach.

“You never know what is going to happen,” Wastyn said. “With only two players returning from last year there was uncertainty, but i’m very proud of how we played in conference and Regional Championships.”

Thanks to senior captain Katie Brubaker’s tenacious play during her final campaign the Queen Bees are primed for a run at the national championship, and for Brubaker All-American aspirations are not out of the question.

She won medalist honors in three tournaments this year including receiving Midwest Classic Conference Player of the Year honors. During the season she never placed lower then ninth in any of the Queen Bees ten tournaments.

This year’s team is set to try and make school history this spring by bringing home some hardware from the National Championships in May, and from Wastyn’s point of view, they’re right where they need to be.

“Right now this may be the best team Ambrose has ever had,” Wastyn said. “The big difference is in team chemistry. They get along great and are fun to work with.”

The lone problem with having a fall golf season comes with the cold Iowa winters that don’t halt for anyone or anything. With many of the teams in the south having the ability to play all year long the Queen Bees will have to find a way to stay concentrated during the frigid months until the ground thaws.

“This winter the goal is to stay in shape with conditioning and occasionally hit some balls in the batting cage area to remind the golf muscles what they should be doing,” Wastyn said. “It’s a little hard to wait but it’s nice to know it’s coming.”

The women received several post-season honors, including Midwest Classic Conference All-Conference honors to Nicole Keeney, Emily Dean, Heather Brooks, and Emily Petrucelli. Wastyn also received coach of the year honors in conference. Brubaker along with Petrucelli and Keeney also received NAIA All-Region honors as well.

For the Fighting Bees this return trip to Olathe, Kan. will hopefully end up similarly to their trip last May. During the 2004 National Championship Tournament the Fighting Bees returned home with the highest finish by any Ambrose team in the history of the school as they captured third place.

The Fighting Bees started the season seemingly without missing a beat as they rolled through their schedule with seven first place finishes between their first and second teams.
Along with winning the Conference Championship the Fighting Bees also shattered the Conference record of 579, stroking their way to the title with a 560.

Joe Demory started his senior campaign already an All-American, and the most decorated St. Ambrose golfer in history. Without much more left to accomplish Demory went out and accumulated another Conference Player of the Year award, and an NAIA Region VII Player of the Year award. His scoring average of just over 70 strokes per round also set a school record.

While Demory never finished worse then fourth place in any tournament, other Fighting Bees also stepped up and claimed medalist honors. Juniors Bryan Lemkau and Jimmy Marinelli each had a first place finish. Lemkau won the St. Ambrose Invitational, while Marinelli won the St. Francis Invitational.

As a whole the first team is averaging 73 strokes per round, while the second team is just behind them at 75.

Rounding out the top five for the Bees along with Demory, Marinelli, and Lemkau are Senior Tim Puetz and Freshman Tim Harrigan.

Fighting Bee coach Jeff Griebel also brought home some hardware as he was awarded coach of the year honors in the Midwest Classic Conference.

In an NAIA Championship preview with many of the top teams in the NAIA the Fighting Bees placed sixth out of 17 teams after a rough first round. They were just six strokes behind second place. Demory placed fourth in that tournament.

With freshmen like Harrigan and Iowa Wesleyan Invitational Champion Keith Szafranski the future looks bright for the Bees even after the departure of Demory and Puetz.

For the Fighting Bees, currently ranked fourth in the nation, this May will be a chance to do something they were unable to accomplish last season, bring home the school’s first team national championship. For seniors Joe Demory and Tim Puetz it will also be their last chance to compete for a national championship as Fighting Bees.

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