For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: May 9, 2025
Chargers win regional golf title, headed to nationals
Lake City, Minnesota -
The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College men’s golf team is finishing the season strong. The team competed in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) regional competition, taking first place. The tournament was held April 27-29 at the Jewel Golf Club in Lake City, Minnesota. It started with a practice round on April 27, followed by two competitive rounds on April 28-29. “We played our best round of the year on Monday (April 28),” said Scott Kennedy, coach and Golf Course Management instructor at Southwest Tech. “Considering how difficult the conditions were, cold and windy, we had three players break 80.”
The team had a commanding 16-stroke lead after the first day. They cruised to the championship, winning by 12 strokes. “The guys got off to a good start,” said Kennedy. “They felt comfortable, which gave them a lot of confidence, and they avoided any major disasters.”
The conditions for the second round were extremely difficult as well, according to Kennedy, which made it tough for any other team to make a run.
Ayden Nolan, from Cuba City, Wisconsin was the tournament medalist, followed by Brandon Kreutz, from Verona, Wisconsin. “The regional win felt great,” said Nolan. “It was my first-ever college win and I’m glad it came at an important time of the year.”
Nolan was one under par through the first nine holes. That is when he felt like his chances of being the medalist were increasing. “The first day was definitely some of the best golf I have played this season,” he said.
With the win, the team will now compete in the NJCAA national tournament June 1-7. The actual competition will take place June 3-6 at the Chautauqua Golf Club in New York. “It’s an older version of Lake Geneva,” said Kennedy.
The Chargers will compete against a field of 15 teams. “I would like to see us finish in the top five,” said Kennedy. “Realistically, we have to play pretty well.”
“For nationals, I am excited to have the chance to become an all-American,” said Nolan. “A lot of our guys have not played at this high of a level, so we are just going to go out there and play.”
The tournament team consisted of five players, with the best four scores counted each day.
Team members who competed, included Nolan and Kreutz, along with Sam Schachte, from Fitchburg, Wisconsin; Ben Rader, from Muskego, Wisconsin, and Aryn Lochen, from Bangor, Wisconsin.
It has been several years since the Southwest Tech team competed at the national tournament. Kreutz competed at the national tournament last year after he won the regional competition. “We’re hoping for good things,” said Kennedy. “We’ll take it one day at a time and see what we can do. It’s a great environment and a really neat thing for these guys to see a national event.”
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named the winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |