Men's & Women's Golf
20007-08 Preview/Recap

Trinity University Tigers head men’s golf coach Carla Spenkoch has nine sophomores who are chomping at the bit to conquer all courses this season.

Coach Spenkoch, who has completed nine years at the Trinity helm, believes the 2007-08 campaign will be a dandy.

“We should have a strong team this year,” Coach Spenkoch said. “They are a young team, but they’ve had a year of good experience. A definite goal is winning conference and going to the NCAAs.”

The Tigers finished third in the 2007 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships, held at the par-72 White Wing Golf Club course in Georgetown, Texas. Trinity amassed a 620 (307-313) in the 36-hole event.

Two sophomores from Austin, Texas, and Westlake High School led the Tiger pack in individual honors. Lee Seidlits tied for second place, with a 153 (75-78). Jonathan Alden  tied for eighth at 155 (76-79). Michael McConnell, who graduated, was 10^th with a 156 (79-77). The three Tigers received All-SCAC recognition.

Chase Clayton, a sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif. (Garces Memorial), tied at No. 21 with a 158 (77-81). Ravi Coutinho, also a sophomore, finished in a tie for 25^th place at 160 (81-79). Coutinho hails from Peoria, Ariz. (Centennial).

The returning sophomore juggernaut also includes Peter Senior of Sherman Oaks, Calif. (Campbell Hall); and Canadian Nash Kassam of Vancouver, B.C. (St. George’s High School).

Trinity had good showings at a number of events last season, including the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Spring Invitational (fourth place) in Temple, Texas, and the Kingsmen Invitational (5^th place), held in Lompoc, Calif.

Seven Tigers earned slots on the 2007 SCAC Academic Honor roll: Alden, Coutinho, Kassam, Seidlits, McConnell, Atticus Miller and Adam Plake.

Four first-year players will bring fresh talent to the Tiger squad.

Mark McCullough of Scottsdale, Ariz. (Cactus Shadows), is the son of PGA Champions Tour Mike McCullough. Adding depth are Alex Newton of Katy, Texas (Cinco Ranch); Jack Peterson of Oakland, Calif. (Bishop O’ Dowd); and Daniel Maurer of Longmont, Colo. (Alexander Dawson School, Lafayette, Colo.).

In the fall of 2007, The Tigers placed No. 7 at the John Bohmann Memorial at Seguin, Texas. Seidlits finished at No. 22. Trinity was fifth in the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Fall Invitational at Salado, Texas, and Coutinho was fifth individually. Trinity hosted the Alamo City Classic at River Crossing Golf Club and came in fourth place. Seidlits had the best Tiger showing with a No. 5 finish.

The Tigers open their spring campaign Feb. 25-26 at the Mary Hardin-Baylor Invitational at the Wildflower Country Club in Temple, Texas. Trinity will compete March 20-23 at the 54-hole Jekyll Island Collegiate Tournament at Jekyll Island, Ga. The NCAA Division III West Regional Invitational is slated for April 6-8 at Berry Creek Country Club in Georgetown. The SCAC Championship tourney, consisting of 54 holes, will be held April 24-27 at Greencastle, Ind. DePauw University is the host institution. The NCAA Division III Championships are set for May 13-16 in Braselton, Ga.

Therese Bass, who has completed four years as the Tiger women’s mentor, has five experienced returnees and a talented group of first-year players ready to take on all comers.

“I have high hopes,” Coach Bass said. “I’m very excited about this season. I expect good things from this team. We have some great first-year players and some seasoned returnees.”

The Tigers finished fourth, for the second straight year, at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship in April 2007 at the White Wing Golf Course in Georgetown, Texas. The Tigers scored 742 (375-367) in the 36-hole event. Trinity has four top-four conference finishes in a row, including runner-up performances in 2004 and 2005.

Paige Cohick, a resident of San Antonio who graduated, was 12^th at the SCAC meet with a 175 (88-87). She was later selected for the National Golf Coaches Association of America All-West Region Team. Cohick earned All-SCAC honors in 2005 and 2006, and the NGCA All-Scholar Award in 2006.

A key returnee is junior Monica Mercado of Albuquerque, N.M. (Sandia). Mercado finished 14^th at the SCAC meet, shooting a 178 (90-88). She was 16^th of 33 golfers at the Trinity-hosted Alamo City Classic and tied for No. 30 at the Jekyll Island Women’s Collegiate Invitational in Georgia. Trinity finished No. 12 of 22 teams at the Georgia tournament and was fourth at the Alamo City Classic.

Sophomore Kaitlin Elsenheimer of Medina, Ohio (Medina), was 19^th at the SCAC Championship, with a 192 (96-96). Anne Wooton, a sophomore from Baltimore (Friends School), scored 197 (101-96) for 22^nd place.  Also returning is junior Rachel Snyder of Seattle (Seattle Prep).

Two talented first-year Texans will join the Tiger squad this season: Caitlin Spaulding of Amarillo (Amarillo) and Emma Herzog of Katy (Cinco Ranch). Senior Brittney Elko of Fulshear, Texas (Foster), will play her first season on the Tiger team. A standout golfer from Ohio, Lexie Brent, comes from Avon Lake High School in Avon.

Five Tigers earned slots on the 2007 SCAC Academic Honor Roll: Cohick, Elsenheimer, Mercado, Wooten and Olivia Kotter.

In the fall of 2007, Trinity finished No. 8 at the Texas Lutheran University Lady Bulldog Classic in Seguin, Texas, and Elsenheimer placed 11^th. The Tigers were eighth at the Mary Hardin-Baylor Fall Invitational at Temple, Texas, with Brent coming in at No. 17. Trinity hosted the Alamo City Classic at River Crossing Golf Club and was a sixth-place team. Wooton was the Tigers’ best scorer with a No. 15 finish. 

The Tigers open their spring campaign Feb. 25-26 at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Invitational at Mill Creek Golf Club in Salado, Texas. Trinity will compete March 20-23 at the 54-hole Jekyll Island Collegiate Tournament at Jekyll Island, Ga. A tri-match with Trinity, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southwestern will be held April 12 at Terravista Golf Club in Round Rock, Texas. The SCAC Championship tourney, consisting of 54 holes, will be held April 24-27 at Greencastle, Ind. DePauw University is the host institution. The NCAA Division III Championships are set for May 13-16 in Waverly, Iowa.