Season Review: Men's Golf posts third consecutive upper-division OAC finish in 2018
By Caleb Scott
ADA — For the third straight season, the Ohio Northern men's golf team finished in the top half of the field at the Ohio Athletic Conference championships during another successful season under the watch of fifth-year head coach Chad Bucci.
The Polar Bears posted a 25-50-1 record in 2017-18 and finished fourth at the OAC Championships at the River Greens Golf Course.
Two athletes brought home All-Conference honors for their efforts at the OAC Championships this season as senior Zach Goodchild (Pickerington/North) and junior Joshua Turich (Centerville) were each named All-OAC.
Goodchild finished fourth out of 45 golfers with a 10-over par 74-76-73-79—302 and Turich tied for ninth with a 14-over par 75-79-74-78—306 at the championships. The top 14 finishers earned All-Conference accolades.
Junior Shane Meek (Port Clinton) and sophomore Ryan Tatman (West Chester/Lakota East) joined Goodchild and Turich as the foursome were named Academic All-OAC honorees.
Goodchild and Turich each earned their second career Academic All-OAC accolade, while Tatman and Meek each earned the honor for the first time in their careers.
A 74.8 average this season from Goodchild was the second best mark in a single season at ONU. Goodchild now owns the top-2 all-time single season scoring averages for ONU as he averaged an ONU-best 74.4 strokes per round in 2017.
The senior also owns four of the top-15 single season scoring averages after a successful 2018 campaign.
Junior Nick Anderson (Mason) ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 78.4 strokes per round this season; a mark that ranks 21st all-time at Northern.
Turich rounded out the top-3 scorers for ONU this season, averaging 80.5 strokes per round.
Goodchild carded a first round 4-under par 67 at the Defiance Spring Invitational, a round that is tied for the best round in school history. The senior also earned medalist honors for his efforts at the invitational.
The Polar Bears opened the season with a busy fall schedule, competing in the Bluffton Fall Invitational, the Ohio Dominican Fall Invitational, the Spiess Invitational, the OAC Fall Invitational and the Defiance Fall Invitational.
After the winter break, Northern opened the new year at the Fernandia Beach Golf Course in Fernandia Beach, Fla. in the Amelia Atlantic Classic from Mar. 5-7.
ONU would then compete in the OAC Spring Invitational from Mar. 30-31 before posting a second place finish at the annual ONU Spring Classic at Colonial Golf Course.
A final tune up round at the Defiance Spring Invitational would precede the 2018 OAC Championships as Northern wrapped up its season with a fourth place finish at the championships.