Golf team continues winning ways

This year’s Torero golf season has already been labeled as the best in USD history. The golf team has exceeded the expectations of its critics and is now headed to the NCAA Regional’s for the fourth time in the last five years. These results did not surprise junior Gunner Wiebe, as he knew his team’s potential from the season’s beginning.
“Starting the year I knew how talented we were as a group. It was really just a matter of putting forth the effort,” Wiebe said. “But we clearly have put forth the effort, as this is the best season in our program’s history.”
Head coach Tim Mickelson knew he had a talented team but was still surprised at their remarkable season.
“Almost every college coach in the country would agree that it is rare that our team outperforms a coach’s expectations,” Mickelson said. “But my guys have done that this year. I knew we had a talented team, I just didn’t quite know how talented. And it is a great feeling that I have the entire roster back for one more year.”
During the season, the Toreros tallied six first-place finishes, as well as three second-place finishes. Their wins came at the Kauai Collegiate Invitational, the San Diego Intercollegiate Classic, the USD Callaway Invitational, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Mardi Gras Invitational and the Fresno State Lexus Classic, where they actually tied for first but lost in a playoff to Brigham Young University.
Furthermore, USD competed in March at the Calloway Match Play Championships in Arizona. The tenth-seeded Toreros defeated the seventh ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders and the first ranked Stanford Cardinal to post a 2-2 overall record in match play. The Toreros finished seventh overall in this competitive field, as 14 of the 16 teams were ranked in the top 25. Sophomore Alex Ching and Wiebe posted impressive results as they went 4-0 in their match play rounds.
The Toreros’ most recent second-place finish occurred at the WCC championship two weeks ago. They posted the best final round team score of 296, but still came up five strokes short to the 33rd ranked Pepperdine Waves. Wiebe took home medalist honors to join sophomores Joe Harrison and Ching and red shirt junior Kenneth McCready as the only Toreros to do so this year.
Even though the Toreros did not capture the conference title, their momentum was not deterred. They have had momentum on their side ever since the San Diego Intercollegiate Classic in Rancho Santa Fe, their lone home event.
“The turning point of the season was probably winning this event,” Wiebe said. “We had a nice fall season and our home tournament was the first in the spring. From there, we all fed off each other and used that momentum to carry us through the season and into the NCAA Regional.”
After the San Diego Intercollegiate Classic, the Toreros posted three first place finishes and two second-place finishes, keeping the momentum needed to succeed at the NCAA Regional’s. But this victory and their success thus far hasn’t been the only thing to provide momentum throughout the season.
Last Thursday, head coach Tim Mickelson received the award for West Coast Conference coach of the year. In his seven years at USD, Mickelson has won the award three times, but this is the first one he can solely claim, as the last two were each shared with another coach. Coach Mickelson has been a big reason why the Toreros have exceeded expectations and  kept their momentum throughout the spring season.
“It’s about time that coach Mickelson receives some recognition,” Wiebe said. “It’s hard for people to comprehend how much he has done for our program and how he took our team from a complete non-contender to a team that has a good chance to go after a NCAA title.”
But, according to coach Mickelson, he is hardly the main reason for his team’s recent success. “While it is great to be honored as the WCC Coach of the Year, it is truly a team honor,” Mickelson said. “The players are the ones who perform on the course and earn the national ranking. And my assistant coach, Cory Scoggin, works very hard. It is a group effort and therefore a group award. We are honored to be recognized for our year.”
Ultimately, Mickelson is not satisfied, as he and his players are striving toward the ultimate team honor - a national championship. Last year, the Toreros advanced out of the NCAA Regional’s and into the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. They look to capitalize on this experience and advance to the match play format for the final eight teams in the championship, which they missed by a mere eight strokes last season.
The Toreros will have to wait in anticipation until Monday when the NCAA announces which one of the six regional sites they will compete in from May 20 to the 22. The sites are spread throughout the country, but USD is hoping to land at Carlton Oaks Golf Club here in San Diego.
If USD advances out of the regional’s, they will advance to the NCAA golf championship at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tenn. starting June 1.
“Although it’s been a great season so far, we are far from satisfied and are still working towards the national championship,” Wiebe said.