Driving to the Next Level Women win the GAG Championship H arding's women's and men's golf teams finished first and fifth in the 2012 Great American Conference Championship Tournament at the end of the spring semester. These finishes gave the women's team their first ever first place finish in the GAC standings and allowed the men's team to start the fall season ranked 78th out of 192 NCAA Division II teams, its best start in years. The first place women's golf team finished the season with an overall record of 64-30, despite losing key member senior Whitney Ohlhausen, for the season due to a longterm illness. Sophomore Emily Plyler said that although the team lost someone as instrumental and close as Ohlhausen, it stood strong and was inspired to perform at a more competitive level. "I think we grew as a team because one of our best friends, Whitney Ohlhausen, got sick," Plyler said. "It really just brought us together and made us realize how close we really were and just how different it was to have one member of the team gone. But conference was amazing, Row 1: B. Godman, W. Ohlhausen, B. Marquez, S. Kim, E. Plyler, C. Morgan (coach). and even though we won, we still wanted her there." Likewise, Ohlhausen said that her team's ability to perform well and to stick together through her illness was a great encouragement. Although she was unable to play in the fall season, Ohlhausen said that she was well enough to return to play with the team again in the spring. "I got sick at the end of November and was in the hospital for the next six months," Ohlhausen said. "When conference came around, everyone stepped up to the plate and played their hardest. My team is amazing and called me when they won, and I was in a hospital bed. They surrounded me with love and support and said they did it for me. I know they did it for many reasons, but the fact that I was one of the many really meant a lot, and I couldn't wait to get back and repay them with hard work for all they had done for me and the program." The men's team had an overall successful spring 2012 season, sophomore Brandon Clark said. Although Clark said the season began with a slow start, the team progressively improved and still managed to finish fifth in the conference tournament, which Clark said was characterized by three days of mostly poor weather conditions. "The conditions at conference were tougher, and I mean it's a three-day tournament, so that wears on you," Clark said. "We had a bit higher expectations, but overall we fulfilled a lot of our goals, so it was a successful season if you ask me. We had a lot of good finishes, and not only that, but we had a lot of good times as a team on trips and everything. It was easy on golf trips to get along, and we're there supporting each other, and you know that no one was going to be disappointed or let down if you didn't have your best performance." Clark said that he had new goals for himself and for his team going into the 2012-2013 season and that he believed that there was a good chance that the team could finish the season with better statistics than before. Matt Ryan Row 1: D. Howell (coach) B. Clark, L. Collins, T. Williams, D. Board, J. Perry. Row 2: R. Carter (asst. coach), L. Jackson, A. Williamson, N. Kannenberg, R. Hadash. Men's & Women's Golf Est. 1964 & 2005 1 279
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