UIS men’s golf has finished its fall season after five tournaments. Frank Marsaglia stated that the season went “pretty well.”

The men’s golf team is a “very young team” according to Marsaglia, adding that the team will “probably have one junior, one sophomore, and three freshman on the starting team for the spring.”

Marsaglia stated that the team ranks “right in the middle of the region and conference,” at 22 out of 40 teams.

Three of the players from the team have stood out according to Marsaglia. These players are Jacob Wherley, Nathan Goecks, and Talon Supak.

Supak is a returning player, and Marsaglia stated that “I expect a lot of him.” Goecks is leading the team currently with stroke average. Nathan has a 75 stroke average so far this season. Supak and Wherley both have 77 stroke averages.

This is the “first year with those three scores that low.” According to Oletzke the team is “looking at getting better and making big strides in spring.”

Marsaglia explained that the freshman took some time to adjust to college life and playing at a college level. However, Goecks shot 69 in his first tournament. This was three under par, which is “very, very good” for a first time freshman according to Marsaglia.

The most notable tournament for the first half of the season was the UIS Island Getaway. This tournament took place at the end of fall season in Puerto Rico. The team won the tournament and beat a division one team.

In the beginning of the spring season, the team will start out with a division one tournament in Missouri. Marsaglia is hoping to finish somewhere in the middle. They will face some top division one teams according to Marsaglia.

Marsaglia stated that the team is “about what I expected.” He added that they played well and have grown as a team throughout the first half of the golf season.

Marsaglia also said that he looked forward to the team getting better and that the team needs to continue on the path they are on.

Marsaglia explained that even though they are such a young team, they have talent as freshman. Two players of eight are returning from last year. Wherley and Nick Tannahill are the returners.

The fact that the team is so young means that Marsaglia has more time to work with almost the entire team. The next three years will provide Marsaglia and the freshman players time to become better. Marsaglia stated that with the time, they have “the rest of this year and three more,” and he expects that next year the team will be pretty strong.

The team has been pretty close to meeting the expectations that Marsaglia had for them at the beginning of the season. He added that the team has only made if through the fall season; therefore, they are only about half way there.

Marsaglia’s expectations were for the team to be in the “top four of the conference, and there is a good chance to get there now.” He added that the team is “right about where they should be.” Finally, he stated, “if you ask the team, they might say they’re behind where they should be.”