Season Preview: Men's Golf looks to get back into upper division of OAC in 2021

March 16, 2021

By Tim Glon

ADA — From 2016-18, the Ohio Northern men's golf team posted upper division finishes in the Ohio Athletic Conference championships, which included a second place finish in 2016.

The Polar Bears, under eighth-year head coach Chad Bucci, are gunning to get back into the upper half of the league again in 2021.

Bucci welcomes back eight of his top nine golfers and 16 lettermen from last year's squad that was 17-15 overall when the season was canceled prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northern is led at the top by sophomore Josh Steyer (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and three juniors that all return after averaging in the 70s last season.

Juniors Nolan Kimberly (Zanesville), Andrew Slusher (Covington) and Jared Hernandez (Van Wert) also carded season averages under 80 with a combined 17 rounds in the 70s to their credit.

Steyer leads the returners with a 77.5 average as a freshman.

Kimberly was second at 78.3, Slusher was third at 78.4 and Hernandez was fourth with a 79.6

Senior Ethan Smith (Chillicothe/Southeastern) rounds out the top five returners with an average of 80.4 from 2019-20.

"We are looking to get in the top half of the league," Bucci said. "We are a very deep squad with experienced golfers coming into the prime of their careers. We made strides last fall and were poised to have a solid spring when we were forced to stop playing. Our guys are hungry to get back to the top of the OAC."

Depth abounds as the Polar Bears also return sophomore Bradon Wooldridge (Piketon), junior Austin White (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) and sophomore Matt Russo (Medina/Akron Bishop Hoban), who are all capable of going low into the 70s.

Wooldridge averaged 81.7, White averaged 84.7 and Russo 84.8 a year ago.

Juniors Ethan Hartman (Harrison), Brayden Newland (Lima/Allen East) and Sam Straker (Zanesville) and sophomores Garrett Allen (Zanesfield/Ben Logan), Sutton Bucci (Lewis Center/Olentangy), Andrew Lyon (Ottawa Hills) and Dylan Morris (Castalia/Margaretta) also return as lettermen.

The Polar Bears are scheduled to open their season March 20-21 at the Pioneer Classic at Marietta.

ONU will host the annual Polar Bear Classic at Colonial Golfers Club April 2-3 with the OAC Championships slated for May 1-2 at River Greens Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ohio.