The Drexel golf team’s spring season has proved to be one filled with promise and excitement. Head coach Mike Dynda has seen his team steadily get better in their three tournaments of the second half. The first tournament the Dragons participated in was the Wildcat Invitational in Malvern, Pa. The tournament featured local schools such as Villanova University, Saint Joseph’s University and Temple University.
“It was the first event of the spring, and we were getting all the jitters out,” Dynda said. That explained the reason for the team’s performance, as they took seventh place out of 13 teams. Freshman Christopher Crawford shot a 75, 75 and 69, which placed him fifth overall with a score of 219. Along with Crawford’s performance, senior Ben Feld finished tied for 11th overall with a score of 227. Following their sluggish performance in Malvern, the Dragons went to Easton, Pa., to compete in the Lafayette Invitational.
The Dragons improved on their previous week’s performance, as they placed second out of 19 teams at Lafayette College. Crawford captured his second victory of the season thanks to an impressive score of one under par. He scored first in the par-3s and third in the par-4 holes for a combined score of 143. Feld continued his steady play, placing10th by shooting a 76 and 73 over the two rounds.
“Chris played very well. He is getting better every week, and he’s just a solid golfer,” Dynda said. “Ben has really stepped up of late and has done really well for us of late.”
Following the impressive showing at the Lafayette Invitational, the Dragons went to Longwood University April 12 and 13 to participate in the Manor Intercollegiate Tournament. Dynda’s team continued its low scoring and placed second out of 10 teams. Feld tied for 22nd with a score of 227, and junior Ben Hinge tied for 31st with a 231. Senior Andrew Lawson finished 59th, as he shot a 246. Meanwhile, Crawford continued to pace the team with a 10th-place overall finish and was tied by senior James Braunsberg; they both shot 222 to finish six over par.
Dynda was proud of his seniors’ performance over the weekend, saying, “James really stepped up for us, and he got the game ball from us on the ride back home.”
The Dragons have one more tournament remaining before the Colonial Athletic Association Championship begins. They will head to North Carolina to take part in the North Carolina State Wolfpack Invitational April 20-21. The tournament will feature schools including Duke University, Clemson University and North Carolina State University.
“I’m not going to measure our success based on place but rather on how we perform overall,” Dynda said. “More than anything, I hope we head into the CAAs with a lot of confidence because then I think we can do well.”