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2022 JCU Men's Golf OAC Champions
Muskingum Sports Info

THE COMEBACK: Men's Golf Captures 1st OAC Championship Since 1997

| By: Joe Ginley '16, SID
The Blue Streaks came back from down 19 strokes to win the 2022 OAC Championship. 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ohio -- Call it the comeback of the century for John Carroll Men's Golf.

The Blue Streaks exited Day 1 of the 2022 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships in second place by 19 strokes. On Day 2, John Carroll chipped away the deficit to nine strokes. And on Day 3, the Blue Streaks made history.

On Sunday at River Greens Golf Course, the Blue Streaks completed a comeback that will go down in the annals of JCU Men's Golf. 

Final Results

The Blue Streaks captured the program's first OAC Tournament Championship since 1997. For perspective, the OAC Tournament is a 72-hole format, as the teams play 2 rounds on Friday and then one 18-hole round on Saturday and a final round on Sunday. Halfway through, JCU had a 19-stroke deficit to crawl out of.

John Carroll did great work on the first two days, but the capstone of a remarkable weekend of golf occurred on Day 3 in West Lafayette. 

On Sunday, the Blue Streaks tallied a team score of 296, bettering Otterbein by 11 strokes. In finishing the crazy comeback, the Blue Streaks won the OAC Championship by 2 strokes with a team score of 1186. 

The Blue Streaks got the job done, winning the OAC Championship and punching a ticket to the NCAA Division III Championship. 

"We didn't play bad on the first day with the first 2 rounds. We weren't far off from Day 2-3," said Head Coach Mike Moran. "It was easier for us to maintain the level of play than it was for Otterbein. I'll put it like this: How do you replicate the Mona Lisa? It's pretty dang hard to do. I'm really happy with our team, and I'm so proud of what they accomplished. This was a total team effort from one through five." 

Making it all the more remarkable was the adversity JCU encountered along the way. Some key players missed action during the regular season and a tough Cleveland spring made it tough for JCU Men's Golf to get consistent rounds in. And on Sunday, the conditions were difficult to start, with wind and rain playing a factor. 

Johnny Roder anchored the assault on history. The senior from Michigan City, Indiana roared for a wild final score of 69 on Day 3. Along the way, Roder earned a crazy 5 birdies for the day in a performance that will be remembered by generations of Blue Streaks.

"I had an amazing chip in for birdie and made some putts, so I knew I was in contention," said Roder. "I saw folks checking phones, so we were on edge in the final nine holes. I found myself getting antsy, but I took deep breaths and remained present. And sure enough, I shot a 69. To be able to do that on the final day of the tournament is awesome. I've been preaching to the boys, 'It's not over until it's over.'"
 
Roder tied for medalist honors with a 3-day total of 290. The story of his leadership and his outstanding efforts to guide JCU to an otherworldly comeback will be told again and again by JCU athletics historians in the future. 

"The past two days have been wild," Roder said. "Sitting in the house after Day 1, we just said 'Hats off to Otterbein, they played so well.' All you could do was tip the cap to them. We just focused on doing what we could. As a captain, I'd been telling the guys that we were still in contention, all we could do was control what we could. We played our game and got it done. But still, I'm still shocked we won the way we did." 

Jacob Hazen also stepped up in a gigantic way on Sunday.

The sophomore from Dublin, Ohio shot a pair of birdies on the front nine for a nice start of 35. Hazen then came roaring down the home stretch, with a pair of birdies, including a clutch one on the 17th hole. He finished even for the day at 72, a major performance. For the weekend, he nabbed a 295, tying for fourth place. 

Jack Wymard remained a steadying presence for the Blue Streaks. The junior tallied a 77 on Day 3. The Gibsonia, PA native started the front nine at +4 at 40. But he heated up big-time down the stretch. Wymard clipped a pair of big birdies, penciling in a 37, totaling a 77.

For the weekend, Wymard tied for ninth with a final score of 299. His efforts were crucial for JCU.

On Sunday, two Blue Streaks tied for the final score: Nolan Adams and Zach Brinks. 

Adams provided excellent work as the team's 5 man. The Lake Catholic grad carded a 78 for the day, highlighted by a birdie to open the round. For the weekend, Adams notched a total score of 307. Brinks also did wonderful work, notching an identical 78. For the weekend, Brinks finished with a score of 308. 

In all, the Blue Streaks banded together on Sunday to make history happen. And it was a full team effort, from the 5 players on the course to the other members of the team who helped make it possible.

"I want to thank all of my teammates, including the ones not in top 5. They've been supportive, and helped us conquer the adversity," said Roder. "I knew the whole time we could do it. I told the team in the fall, and we all knew we could do it. I told the guys to practice more and get ready, because I knew course conditions would be tough and that can be the difference when you're standing over a meaningful putt. It worked in our favor, and it's so enjoyable right now to take it all in. Everyone is just so excited."

Kudos also goes to assistant coach Jeff Pawlowski, who has helped every step of the way for the Blue Streaks.

"In basketball, you have the 6th man and in football you have the 12th man. For JCU Men's Golf, we have Jeff Pawlowski," said Moran. "He works his tail off and should get all the credit in the world for his work in making this happen."

Now, the focus turns to a very bright immediate future for the Blue Streaks.

John Carroll will prepare for its first NCAA postseason appearance in 25 years. The Blue Streaks will compete in the NCAA D-III Championships from May 10-13 at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

"It blows my mind that we did it for the first time in 25 years," said Roder. "None of us were born in 1997. We met with the alumni a couple weeks ago, and [JCU Athletic Hall of Famer] Brian Unk gave us encouragement. The alumni support has been amazing.

"But our journey is not over yet. It's nice to celebrate, but the job isn't done. We're just getting started with NCAAs."
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