SHOOTING ACROSS THE POND By Lindsey Led.ford Freshman Cameron Murry and sophomore Mason Banger crossed the pond and moved from England to Arkansas to play on Harding's golf team. To combat being so far from home, Murry, a biology major, and Banger, an exercise science major, said they developed close relationships with their fellow teammates. Despite the long distance, both golfers said the welcoming campus atmosphere eased the stress ofthe move. "The transition was pretty painless," Murry said. "The societies are pretty similar, so it wasn't too big of a change. The only thing I struggled getting used to was being 3,000 miles away from home all the time." Student athletes often traveled for their sport while actively participating in school and campus life. Murry, a member of men's social club Gamma Sigma Phi, said traveling with his team and friends eased his transition to America. "I think if I went anywhere else in America it wouldn't have been as easy," Murry said. "But it's Arkansas, and everyone's just so nice. Harding is a warming environment." Banger and Murry both said adjusting to golf in America verses golf in England was an easy-to-overcome obstacle. "The grass types are different," Banger said. "The way you hit the ball comes out differently than the way it would at home. It's not a major adaption though. In England the grass is a bit longer but thinner, where as here it's short and thicker." Senior Alex Williamson from Jacksonville, Florida, played on Harding's golfteam for three years. Williamson said he enjoyed getting to know both Murry and Banger from the many tournaments they played together. "Mason and Cameron transitioned even better than I thought they would," Williamson said. "The style of golf over there is different so I expected them to not play as good as fast. Here you fly everything to the hole because the grass is softer, but they've done a really good job of adjusting." Despite several minor adjustments, Banger said the perks ofplaying at Harding extended beyond the friendly faces. "I like it here," Banger said. "Harding's great. It has great facilities and a lovely campus. Harding has a lot of things that many other universities don't have." ,\ I E ~ ' S & W O .\ l E N ' S (; 0 L F 2 :_L5
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