DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Friends University Men's and Women's Golf Falcons each finished on top of this week's KCAC Match Play event at the Mariah Hills GCS in Dodge City, Kan.
The Men's Falcons were dominant throughout, starting with a 4.5-0.5 win over Ottawa University and then a 5-0 shutout victory over Southwestern College in the second round. Bernhard Koster (3&2), Jenson Boyce (7&6), Jaydon Carruthers (4&3) and Dawson Branstetter (4&3) each won their match vs. Ottawa, while Laken Matthews tied his outing vs. Tommy Miller on the 15th hole. Against Southwestern, it was even more convincing with Matthews (7&5), Carruthers (1UP), Branstetter (1UP), Boyce (5&3) and Koster (3&2) each emerging victorious in the clean sweep for the Falcons.
The Falcon Women also controlled their bracket, defeating York University 4-1 in the opening round and then Evangel University 4.5-0.5 in the second round. Victoria Hofmann (6&5), Jessica Applegarth (7&6), Hannah Tri (6&5) and Sydney Chapman (8&7) each won their first round match vs York, with Applegarth (6&5), Tri (2&1), Hofmann (4&3) and Rylin Wells (3&2) each winning their second round outing vs. Evangel and Chapman finishing tied with Cally Gibson on the 18th hole.
The KCAC Match Play event is the final competition of the fall, with both Falcon golf programs now gearing up for what is set up to be an enticing spring season.
Friends Women's Golf head coach Scott Moshier and Men's Golf head coach Tom McCurdy on the Falcons' KCAC Match Play championships:
Moshier: "The girls did a fantastic job at the Match Play Championship this week in Dodge City, and I couldn't be prouder of each of them and the way they came together as a team to secure the championship!
Ending the fall season this way really put an exclamation point on the first half of our season. After everyone takes a much-needed break, I know the girls will be eager to get back together and begin preparing for the spring season.
We had so many individual accomplishments this fall, with several of our players recording career-low collegiate rounds as well as other players with multiple rounds in the 70s. We were also blessed to have both Victoria Hofmann and Jessica Applegarth earn KCAC Player of the Week honors twice this fall. These achievements are a testament to the hard work and dedication our players continue to put into their games.
I'm incredibly excited about the future of our program and the recruits we have lined up for campus visits. More than anything, though, I'm proud of the direction our team's culture is heading. I know we will continue to grow, both on and off the course, as we build something special together.
I also want to express our appreciation for our men's head coach and Director of Golf here at Friends, Tom McCurdy. Coach McCurdy has shared so much of his knowledge and experience with me and our team, and we are already reaping the benefits of his coaching, mentorship, and support.
Finally, it has been an absolute blast having our men's and women's teams work together and spend time with one another both on and off the course. Being able to come together as one united Falcon Golf Team has made this experience even more special!
I'm proud of what our girls have accomplished this fall and excited for what lies ahead. Go Falcons!
McCurdy: "I am so happy for the guys to finish the fall season on a winning note! All of our guys stepped up and contributed to wins. We had a good game plan going into the stroke play portion and we played steady. Finishing with some birdies down the stretch helped separate us from the field.
The match play rounds were where we learned so much about ourselves because every shot has immediate intent based on your opponent's shots and I was so impressed with how each of our guys battled! They made smart decisions based on the situations and were able to stay composed and patient. When our result became official the guys turned their attention on the women's matches and it was really special to get to cheer them on as they also brought home the championship!
This fall was solid for our program! Getting three wins in five starts doesn't happen very often. The off-season is going to be nice. We'll be dialing it up In the weight room, getting back to fundamentals with mechanics and sharpening our mental games. It was a great fall season for Falcon Golf!"
