Kirkwood’s Charlie Hartwig
Eagles aim for return trip to the national tournament
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (March 25, 2016)-The Kirkwood golf team has jumped one spot to number nine in the latest Bushnell Golfweek National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Coaches Poll. Previously, the Eagles began the spring ranked number 10 in the nation.
Kirkwood Head Golf Coach Darin Pint has another strong squad for the 2016 campaign that hopes to surpass the success of last season. In 2015, the Eagles won the NJCAA Division II Region XI Men’s Golf Championship and earned a spot in the national tournament. The team followed the regional title with a sixth place national finish.
Three experienced sophomores have returned to lead the team to new heights. Carson Whittington (Creston, Iowa), Mitch Willems (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), and Eddie Doyle (Fort Dodge, Iowa) are all expected to bring valuable experience to the squad. Both Whittington and Doyle played in the national tournament last year with Whittington leading the way by finishing two-over par (t-27th place).
The freshmen on this year’s team include Jaden Carey (Muscatine, Iowa), Jordan Even (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Charlie Hartwig (Temora City, New South Wales, Australia), and Louis Flynn (Addleston, Surrey, UK). Hartwig is already making his mark as he set the two-day tournament scoring record in the UIS Invitational Tournament in Springfield, Ill. on March 19-20. He also tied the school record for lowest round score (66) previously set by former Eagle T.J. Redding in 2004.
The Eagles have finished first in the majority of tournaments they have played in this year. To date, they have yet to finish below third in any tournament.
Kirkwood returns to Hunters Ridge, their home course, for the Eagle Spring Classic this weekend. The tournament will run March 27-28.
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