Morell Caps Great Career at Old Dominion
Samantha Morell from No. Kingstown, RI has capped off a great career at Old Dominion University in Virginia by being selected for the Tom Scott Award as ODU’s top senior athlete. She was named Conference USA’s female golfer of the week twice this spring, winning the Bison Invitational and finishing third at Pinehurst. Her stroke average for this spring was 74.3.
Another Rhode Island native at ODU is former R.I. state high school champion and player of the year, Jamison Randall, a sophomore from Cumberland. He recently finished as co-champion of the Raines Intercollegiate and was sixth at the Old Dominion Outerbanks Tournament and eighth at Mission Inn.
New England Division One Results:
The University of Connecticut with a dazzling round of 291 won the 2013 New England Championship. The Huskies were led by freshman Zack Zaback who shot 66-73-139. Zaback was presented the Joe Prisco Award as individual medallist. Uconn shot 588, 12 ahead of runner-up URI and 14 ahead of the University of Hartford.
Coach’s Comments:
Recently Peter Kostis, a worldwide teacher and television commentator, highlighted what he identified as two major problems with college golf. He stated that the NCAA restricts how much golf a student-athlete can play and with few exceptions, college coaching is just not as good as the instruction that these players would get as touring pros.
While I tend to agree that the NCAA can be restrictive at times, they are responsible for setting policy and procedures for over 1,500 players and 300 golf teams in Men’s Division One alone. Compare this with 20-25 elite junior golfers, and I would say that the NCAA is doing a good job.
In reference to instruction received by college golfers, I would argue that Mr. Kostis is unduly harsh in his assessment of the coaches’ skills. Hands on coaching and assessment of the player is where the coaches interact with student athletes in dedicated professionalism and care. In the long run, if all we have taught the college golfer is how to play, then we have not done our job!
We the coaches are responsible for the academics, social skills and progress to maturity. The college experience may not be for everyone, but rest assured that our young men and women athletes are in great hands with today’s college coaches.
Tom Drennan is the retired head coach of the University of Rhode Island golf team. He led the team for 23 years and was named New England Coach of the Year 10 times. He was inducted into the Golf Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame in 2000 and served as the president of the GCAA from 2004-2006.
