Wheeling, W. Va. - After finishing the fall season ninth in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and having one player make it to the finals of the MEC Championship, the Wheeling University Men's Golf team gets ready to begin their spring season looking to continue to grow. The young team opens their spring slate of invitationals when they head to Southern Pines, North Carolina for the Mid Pines Invitational. For a few Cardinals players, it will be their first experience in college spring golf and they look to grow off their scores in the fall.
They ended their fall season during the 2021 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Men's Golf Championships, where they finished eighth out of the 10 teams competing. After the first round of play, the Cardinals were up to as high as seventh with a score of 340, one stroke higher than Notre Dame College. However, as Round two began, they would eh up falling behind the Falcons and missed out on round three of the team competition with a score of 671. However, while the team didn't make it, the Cardinals did have one golfer make it to round three to represent the team.
Yadhu Urs was tied for sixth after round two, and moved on to finish in a tie for ninth with a score of 231.
Urs is the veteran for this Wheeling Men's Golf team, and will look to step up in that role once again here in the spring season. A top 10 finisher in the MEC for the first time in his collegiate career, boasts some big numbers from the fall. He had an average score of 74.5 strokes during the fall season, putting up some of the best numbers of his collegiate career. He broke the 70 stroke barrier on two separate occasions, and had a sub 80 score in five of the eight rounds he has played this season. He looks to build off of his strong performance in the fall and once again lead the Cardinals through their spring season. The Regional Tournament may not be in site, but Urs looks to lead his team through their spring schedule.
Behind him are a couple of young guys looking yo continue to hone their skills on the golf course. Leading the way for the freshman is
Blake Ring-Fish, who dealt with injury issues in the fall, but still managed to post strong numbers. In his first MEC Championship event, the freshman posted a 179 finishing fifth on the team. However, in the earlier events, Ring-Fish was consistently the number two or three golfer for Wheeling. He shot under 75 on a few occasions and showed that he can be a reliable player for Wheeling. Another golfer who emerged late in the year was freshman
Alex Parker. After struggling in early events, Parker battled back and finished third at the MEC Championships with a score of score 174, good for third lowest on the team.
The Wheeling Men's Golf team's spring schedule will consist of three different invitationals leading up to the end of the year. After the Mid Pines Invitational, they will play in two more conference invitationals as they get looks against teams they will battle with for year's to come. While there is no MEC Spring Championship, these meets serve as a time for the players to sharpen their skills and get a few more weeks of competition in before they head for the summer. For this young Cardinals team, Jr will be a chance to grow as they build the foundation for the program for year's to come.
The Matchup
Sunday will mark the first time that the Wheeling Men's Golf team has made the trip down to Southern Pines, North Carolina. They will be competing at Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club, which has hosted several collegiate golf tournaments year round. It is a par 73 course, featuring 18 holes, including four par five holes throughout the course. It will challenge Wheeling's players throughout the afternoon, but serves as good competition for what they will face not only the rest of spring but down the line as well.
The Details
Tee-Time for Sunday's Mid Pines Invitational is scheduled for 8:30 AM at Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club. Stay with us on wucardinals.com for updates on all the action.
