CLC players savor national tourney trip
Several College of Lake County golfers were playing a track recently and were respectful of each other's drive.
Because, believe it or not, golf isn't the only fun thing to do in sunny Arizona, Lancers coach Ron Klein took his players out for some indoor cart racing.
"We had a blast," Klein said. "We were racing against each other. It was pretty conservative."
The golf was fun, too, even though CLC finished 16th out of 21 teams in the NJCAA national tournament at Palm Valley Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz., in mid-May. The Lancers played a pair of practice rounds and four rounds of competitive action.
"Great competition," Klein said. "Great experience for the guys."
In his first season as CLC's golf coach, Klein led his team to the Skyway Conference championship. The Lancers earned their national-tourney berth by virtue of their second-place finish at the Region IV tournament at Prairie View Golf Course in Byron last October.
CLC also went to nationals last year under coach Larry Leon, who left to take over the program at Robert Morris College.
Klein took five golfers to Arizona, all freshmen: Brett Meiners (Mundelein), John Dudley (Lakes), Alex Pekelsma (Westosha Central), Troy Beyer (Antioch) and Ryan Squires (Vernon Hills).
"We had a good, solid team -- mechanically and fundamentally," said Klein, who's a golf professional with Core Golf at the Libertyville Sports Complex.
"I think it just came down to a little bit more strategy. The mental part of the game for four days was kind of hard."
The good news for Klein is that Meiners, Dudley, Pekelsma, Beyer and Squires are all expected back in the fall. The coach says he has also successfully recruited Kevin Savage (Warren) and Colin Drayton (Lakes).
Klein likes his group and the chemistry the current players have developed.
"I think the greatest thing is, we're like a family," Klein said. "We get together once a week for dinner.
"That's one thing that (athletic director) Chad (Good) said. He said, 'When I see the guys at the college, they're always together.' They do things together and enjoy their time together."
Sanchez leads RMC: Round Lake graduate Herving Sanchez wrapped up a stellar two-year career for the Robert Morris College golf team this spring.
Playing the best golf of his collegiate career over the last two weeks of the season for the Waukegan-based NAIA school, Sanchez carded a 5-over-par 76 to earn tournament medalist honors. His effort led RMC to its seventh tournament win of the 2007-08 season at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside American Family Classic at Meadowbrook Country Club in Racine, Wis.
The Eagles' score of 319 edged NCAA Division III Carthage College by 2 strokes. RMC beat the hosts, NCAA Division II UW-Parkside, by 4 shots.
Sanchez, along with teammates Chris Myers (Zion) and Jason Ratzburg (Kenosha), was a two-time NAIA All-American. Their success in the classroom was instrumental in RMC being named the NAIA's top academic team in 2008.
"Each one of these young men has displayed outstanding leadership skills," coach Larry Leon said. "They have been instrumental in the success our team has enjoyed the past two seasons. They will be missed and we know they will be as successful in their business careers as they have been on the golf course."