From October

Men’s

Southwest Baptist Invitational – 11 teams

Western ties for fifth overall — t9. Tyler Gast with a score of 145

Park University Fall Invitational – 9 teams

Western places third overall — t.11 Tyler Gast with a score of 80.

Women’s

Bearcat Fall Golf Classic – 6 teams

Western places first overall — 6. Casi Webb with a score of 172.

Park University Fall Invitational – 10 teams

Western places third overall — 5. Natalie Bird with a score of 163.

Truman Bulldog Classic – 6 teams

Western places second overall — t4. Shelby Stone with a score of 163.

Men’s

Missouri Intercollegiate – 18 teams

Western places 7th overall — t13. Tyler Gast with a score of 232.

Pittsburg State – 11 teams

Western places 8th overall — No. 20 Logan Gilliland with a score of 151.

13th Annual NSU Classic – 19 teams

Western places 15th overall — t14. Tyler Gast with a score of 217.

Women’s

Drury Fall Shootout – 18 teams

Western places 9th overall — t24. Shelby Stone with a score of 161.

CSP Wildwood Lodge Invitational – 12 teams

Western places 6th overall — t8. Natalie Bird with a score of 161.

Fort Hays State Invitational – 4 teams

Western places 2nd overall — No. 6 Kristen Cooley with a score of 170.

Western played in the tournament against Fort Hays and Pittsburg State. Although the team finished in the middle of the pack, Griffon golfer Logan Gilliand was the first place medalist, finishing with a two-day total of 146.

Head coach Jim Perry was slightly disappointed with his team’s play.

“Our expectations were higher because we were playing on our home course,” Perry said. “We had a little trouble on our par four scoring; it really did us in.”

Griffon golfer Logan Gilliand finished in first place individually at Western’s first golf tournament of the spring season. Photo | Sara Baum

With weather finally reaching the seventies and being able to play on their home course, the Griffons had a slight advantage.

“Playing on our home course is definitely to our advantage,” Perkins said. “We practice there every day so we know the course really well.”

Perkins hoped the team might capitalize more on the advantage they had.

“I don’t think that we played to our potential,” Perkins said. “We’ve only played six rounds this entire year, so obviously the team is only going to get better.”

Perry mentioned that par scoring would be one of the keys to improvement.

“We just didn’t play as sound as we’re capable of playing,” Perry said. “It was one of those deals where we need a lot more consistency from our par scoring.”

Perkins echoed Perry’s attitude, but saw some positives in the tournament and is hoping to do better next weekend.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement for our team,” Perkins said. “Overall I thought we did decent, but we definitely can improve and we will.”

The Griffons will be playing next on Monday, April 5, at the University of Central Oklahoma Invite in Edmond, Ok.

Women get first place at home

The Missouri Western women’s golf team had a strong start to their spring season as they finished first at their home tournament, the MWSU Invitational, this past Sunday.

The Griffons won the tournament by 37 strokes over second place Avila University. Western’s team score was 683 and Avila’s 720. Fort Hays finished in third, Northwest Missouri State in fourth and Rockhurst fifth.

Head coach Cathy Habermehl was happy with her team’s play.

Natalie Bird places her golf ball on the green during the Griffon’s first home golf tournament of the year. Photo | Sara Baum

The first day of the tournament was rainy and windy, but luckily on Monday the girls were able to play in sunny weather in the seventies.

“It was windy and wet the first day, so the course played pretty long,” Habermehl said. “I think the girls did really well yesterday considering the conditions.”

Freshman Natalie Bird placed first in the tournament, winning by seven strokes. Bird scored a 172. Darcy Smith tied for fourth, Lexi Webb finished in seventh and Kristin Cooley finished in a tie for eighth.

“Everybody has had their holes that they’ve struggled on, but they are all pretty tough and they get themselves back in it,” Habermehl said.

The nice weather and the ability to play on their own Fairview Golf Course both worked to the Griffons’ advantage.

“You always like to play on your own course,” Habermehl said. “You kind of know the greens a little better than the other teams. Also, knowing that your hometown people are coming out to watch you helps – everyone wants to do well at home.”

Western will be playing again on April 7 and 8 in the MWSU/NWMSU Event. The second round will again be played at Fairview Golf Course.

The Griffons played an excellent first round shooting a team total of 288, day two was not as good as the team shot a 295.  Only two strokes behind Missouri Southern, the second place finisher, the men shot a two day total of 583.  

Freshman, Derek Thorne, shot a 69 on the second day of the invitational helping him finish the tournament in fifth place with a two day total of 144.  Team captain Aaron Lisenbee, and Craig Lytle shot a 146 which led them both to a tie for a 9th place finish.   

Matt Lazzo of Washburn won the invitational shooting a two day total of 138. Washburn also won the team competition shooting 568, 15 strokes better than Western.

Sophomore, Caleb Carter, shot a 71 on day one, but was not happy with himself or the team’s final outcome of the invitational.

“I was happy with my first day, but I jammed my thumb, and it affected my game the next day.” Carter said. “I am looking forward to playing this weeks tournament, the course is easy and the team should shot some low rounds.”

Men’s head golf coach Jim Perry, thought the men played well but there is room for improvement.

“I would have liked to see a better finish, they all shot very well in the first round,” Perry said. “We struggled the next day; we were not making the important putts we need to make to have a bet­ter finish.” 

Coach also stated the team is looking forward to playing at Swope Park.

“All the guys like to play Swope, it is an easy course and the men should shoot rounds in the upper 60’s or lower 70’s,” Perry said.

Lisenbee was disappointed that the team let go a better finish after the first round.

“We were not to bad, but I was disappointed we gave up the two strokes for the second place finish,” Lisenbee said. “We tend to let things slip after the first round, our scores  are always a little higher in the following rounds.”

Landon Hochenauer, Tucker Perkins and Shane Feist played as individuals shooting 153, 156 and 158 respectively in the two day event.

The men’s golf season is beginning to wind down. They have three tournaments left in the season. They have the KC Collegiate Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. at the Swope Park Golf Course on April 7 and 8. Then they have the MIAA Conference Tournament in Branson, Mo. at the Branson Creek Golf Course on April 21 and 22. Then they will play at the NCAA Super Regional in Findlay, Ohio at the Red Hawk Run Golf Course on May 5 through the seventh.

The Griffons are looking to finish the season off strong and are still in the hunt for an MIAA conference title. They are looking to go out on top for their two seniors Lisenbee and Lytle. The Griffons will build off their home tournament and use the momentum to play well for the rest of this season.

Garnett, who is now on the Adam’s Golf Pro Tour, will look to join the PGA Tour in a few years

Golf is a mind game.  Brice Garnett’s mind is focused –  focused on making it to the PGA Tour.

After a decorated college career, the two-time Missouri Western Athlete of the Year is now looking to make a name for himself in professional golf.  Garnett is currently playing on the Adams Golf Pro Tour Series.  The tour serves as the training ground for some of the PGA Tour’s best and gives pros such as Garnett the chance to sharpen their skills while getting ready for a lifetime on the PGA Tour.

“It has been a lot of fun,” Garnett said.  “I have really improved since college.”

Coming from an NCAA Division II athletic program like Western, it is hard to make it in the world of profes­sional athletics.  Golf is different from other sports though.  Golf is a sport in which a player must earn their way to a championship, and their ranking is in their own hands.  Golf doesn’t have a draft, and the size of the college you are from really doesn’t matter.  Everyone has a shot to make it on the PGA Tour. The former Missouri Western student athlete Garnett is proving this.  His former teammate Aaron Lisenbee believes he can obtain his dream.

“He’ll go about as far as he wants to take himself,” Lisenbee said.  “Brice is very cool, calm and collective golfer.”

Garnett’s meticulous game is like that of a chemist.  He prepares for everything and is a perfectionist in his work.  He breaks every little thing down and maybe more important than anything, never underestimates the importance of practice.  So what does this equation yield?  Success for Garnett as well as everyone around him.

“He was about as good teammate as you can get,” said Lisenbee.

Missouri Western men’s golf coach Jim Perry knows all about Garnett’s game first hand as well.

“He’s probably the most dominant player we’ve ever had in our league,” Coach Perry said.  “He’s a solid and consistent player, plus he’s a great kid.”

While here as a Griffon, Garnett had 12 collegiate tournament victo­ries (seven in a row), was a three-time conference champ, a two-time All-American and an Academic All-American as well.  He has already started his list of awards as a pro, being named the Adams Tight Lies Tour Rookie of the Year in 2006.

Being from a smaller college isn’t necessarily a handicap for Garnett, but it puts him at somewhat of a dis­advantage. He doesn’t have the expo­sure that golfers from bigger school would get.  Nonetheless, players from Division II and junior colleges have won both the U.S. Open and PGA Championships along with countless PGA Tour titles.  Garnett looks to join the list of small college golfers to make it big time.  He is off to a good start.

“Brice has got the game to do it, and I think he’ll probably make it,” Perry said.  “I know I’m not going to caddy for him though.”

Garnett’s highest finish came at the Community Bank Golf Classic last year where he finished in second place.  He has had three top five fin­ishes this year and is currently the featured athlete on the tours website (http://www.adamsgolfprotourseries.com).  Garnett is currently sitting in tenth place on the money list and fourth in Player of the Year voting on the Adams Golf Pro Tour. He has been more consistent this year and hasn’t been cut from a single tournament.  As his scores get lower, Brice Garnett seems to be a player on the rise on the tour this year.  Hopefully he can rise all the way to the PGA Tour.

“My goal is to get better every year,” Garnett said.  “Hopefully next year I can move up another level and maybe play on the PGA Tour.”

This would shine a positive light on Missouri Western athletics. We all hope that Garnett’s dream comes true.

Lisenbee shot a 71 the first day, followed by a 72 the second, giving him the lead and his first ever college tournament victory.  Lisenbee’s career thus far has been Phil Mickelson like, always finishing near the top, but until now he never finished with a victory.

“It feels really good,” Lisenbee said. “Hopefully I can win a couple more.”

Lisenbee’s victory not only was a personal success, but also helped Missouri Western finish in a second place tie at a tournament in Detroit Lakes, Minn. Western finished with a two day total of 594 (296-298).  The University of Manitoba tied the Griffs for runner-up while Winona State won the tourney.

Western had four other golfers in the tournament as well.  Shane Feist got his first top ten finish at the tournament by shooting a 147 (73-74).  Caleb Carter shot a 150, Craig Lytle shot a 154 and Daniel Crawford shot a 156.

Lisenbee is one of the most respected golfers in the area.  He has always finished near the top, with numerous second and third place finishes.  Lisenbee was named to the All-MIAA team in 2004-2005 and 2006-2007, and looks to get more honors this year.

“We can always count on Aaron to come through for us,” Western Coach Jim Perry said.
The Griffons are looking to build off the recent success. It seems that the talent is there and all that is missing is a little more consistency. 

Aaron Lisenbee is now in his senior season and is the leader of the team as they make a run for the national playoffs. Shane Feist believes Lisenbee’s play makes them better.

“He leads by his play,” Feist said. “He pushes the rest of us, making us want to play better.”
The Griffons will be back in action this week at the Drury Invitational in Springfield, Mo.

One wouldn’t know it was that special by the way he acted. He acted calm and level headed even after he hit his hole in one. It was the second of his life but the first in competition. Head Coach Jim Perry wasn’t present to see it, and when he asked Lisenbee about the shot, he got a different reaction than one would normally see.

“There was no jumping up and down; Aaron just had a big grin across his face,” Perry said.

That is just the reaction he expects from Lisenbee.

He wasn’t a child prodigy playing golf at the age of three. He didn’t begin playing until the seventh grade when a friend introduced him to the game.

That day seems so far away now. The success Lisenbee is having reminds people of former
Missouri Western golfer Brice Garnett, who now plays professionally.

“I would love to play professional golf,” Lisenbee said. “If not playing golf, I would love to be involved with golf somehow.”

Preparation is big when it comes to golf, knowing what club to use or how to play a certain hole. Being ready to play is a big part of playing golf.

Perry believes Lisenbee is always well prepared.

“When he walks out on the golf course, you know he’s ready to play,” Perry said.

Lisenbee also has to handle the pressure of being a team leader, though he has handled it by performing well in every tournament the team has played in this year.

The scores speak for themselves when it comes to grading Lisenbee’s talent. He has placed second twice this year. He hasn’t been outside the top five since the first tournament of the year. He is also shooting an average round of 71.5, with his best round being a score of 69. Freshman Caleb Carter knows the team can always count on Lisenbee.

“He is the team leader,” Carter said. “We know he will be in the top five at every tournament.”

The numbers don’t lie. Lisenbee is one of the best golfers in the conference. Still something has eluded Lisenbee, and that is a first place finish. He tied for first his freshman year, but he lost on a playoff hole.

“I would really like to get a tournament win this year,” Lisenbee said.

Lisenbee isn’t a cocky person and is easy to get along with. He won’t let the success go to his head. He plays the game the right way and doesn’t get overconfident.

“He really is a likable kid,” Perry said.

When Lisenbee is feeling stressed out from school or just life in general, he hits the course. It clears his mind, helps him relax. It’s a second home for Lisenbee.

“Golf just gets you away from everything,” Lisenbee said.

While attending Savannah High School Lisenbee was a three-sport athlete participating in football, basketball and golf. His first love has always been golf. Lisenbee doesn’t really miss playing the other sports now that he is college. Golf has always been what he has had a passion for.

Lisenbee has succeeded in tournaments outside the college. He won the 2006 St. Joseph City Championship. This tournament featured many area golfers, and Lisenbee beat them all to capture the title.

Lisenbee is only a junior, which means he has one more year to stamp his legacy. He could go down as one of the best golfers in the school’s history. Perry believes he is one of the best golfers he has ever coached.

“He is right up there with Brice Garnett,” Perry said. “The competition is better this year, and it’s harder to win tournaments.”

Tournaments will be easier to win if continues to make holes in one.

Both teams are anxious to get out to the course and start their spring seasons.

The men’s team did fairly well in the fall. They currently are sitting in second place in the MIAA conference standings.

Coach Jim Perry feels that winning the conference will be a key for a successful season.

“We’re the defending conference champions so winning that is the main goal of ours,” Perry said.

Right now the men have 12 points and trail first-place Washburn by four points.

Catching them will be a tough task. They have a strong team this year.

The Western women played in three tournaments in the fall. They didn’t fair as well as they would have liked, but they have a young team with one senior on the team, Lisa Cross. The rest of the team consists of three freshmen and a sophomore.

The women are led by coach Randy McGohan, who is in his fourth season as the women’s golf coach. The young team is learning as they go. They have a talented core of young players that can stay and build up the program over the next few years.

The men have nine people on their team. Perry believes two juniors are his team leaders.

“Aaron Lisenbee and Craig Lytle are our team leaders,” Perry said. “They always score the best.”

After losing Brice Garnett, there had to be someone to fill the role of top player. Lisenbee and Lytle are making that transition a little easier for the team to handle. Although
they are missing the numbers he put up, Lisenbee and Lytle are filling the hole left by Garnett’s departure.

The other main contributors on the team are Daniel Cordray, Shane Feist, Caleb Carter and Mitch Girres.

These six make up the nucleus that is fighting for a conference title.

Last year marked only the second time the Griffons won the league title. Going back to back would be a huge step for the program. The Griffons will need strong finishes in all the league tournaments to remain in contention.

The biggest tournament left as far as league play goes, is the MIAA tournament, which will be held in Branson, Missouri at the Branson Creek Country Club on April 23 and 24.

Both the men’s and woman’s teams will look to have productive spring seasons.

Both are looking for successful years and strong finishes.

His father played the game and had Carter enjoying golf at a young age. The thing he loves about golf is the challenge and how each hole is unique.

“Ever hole is different; a different challenge is waiting for you at each hole,” he said.

Carter is a freshman on the Missouri Western golf team. He balances being an athlete and a full-time student. He has been a contributor to the golf team as a freshman. Shane Feist is the only other freshman to contribute to the team.

It’s easier for him to relax knowing that upperclassmen like Aaron Lisenbee, Craig Lytle and Daniel Cordray are on the team. Carter thinks Lisenbee is the leader of the team.

“Lisenbee is the stud of our team, he is always real consistent,”Carter said.

Carter’s main goal for this season is to catch Washburn and win the conference.

With the team winning the conference last year, he believes it’s key to keep the success going.

The main thing he loves about playing golf for Missouri Western is all the different courses they get to play at. His favorite course he has played at this year was the Porto Cima Country Club. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus.

“It was awesome to play on a course designed by a famous player,” Carter said.

Another course he is looking forward to playing on is the Branson Creek Country Club. That course is one of the top ranked courses in the state of Missouri and where the conference tournament will be held.

The conference tournament and the regional tournament are the two biggest tournaments of the year, and Carter hopes to shoot the best at these two. The regional decides who goes to nationals, which is a goal of the team.

Carter also balances having two jobs. He works at Price Chopper and American Eagle. He doesn’t work much during the season, but in the winter he works around 20 hours a week.

Carter also likes that golf is a team sport. He likes how a person can shoot good and help the overall score for the team.

“It’s a team sport, but it’s still on you to shoot well,” he said.

Carter is looking forward to the upcoming season and also contributing to the golf team for the years to come.

Lisenbee put in a lot of practice hours this summer while working at the golf course. He believes that the work he put in last summer has paid off this year.

“I played everyday last summer,” said Lisenbee. “I think that really helped me improve from last year.”

The hard work he put in over the summer has helped Lisenbee finish in the top five in all four tournaments he has played in this fall. His great play this year is a big reason the Griffons

are having such a successful season. He notes some big differences in the team this year.

The loss of key seniors has changed his role. He is one of the more experienced players and has taken on a role of leadership.

Coach Jim Perry hopes that Lisenbee’s work ethic will rub off on some of the younger players.

“It’s a real good thing when your best player has the best work ethic,” said Perry. “Young players see that and it wears on them.”

Those long hours spent working with his irons and putter helped Lisenbee improve his short game. Perry thinks that an improved short game is the main reason for the results

Lisenbee has posted.

He hopes that his work will result in a trip to the regional tournament. If the team can put together five good scores, the Griffons will have a shot at the national tournament.

Some tough rulings have kept him from reaching his potential. Lisenbee has found himself in some tough positions, ranging from stroke penalties to playing a shot off a bridge.

The Griffons have had trouble beating a tough Washburn team this year. They need Lisenbee to step up and knock off one of Washburn’s top players.

“We really need Aaron to step up and knock off one of Washburn’s top two players,” said Perry. “I think he can win a tournament before the year is over.”

His teammate, junior Craig Lytle, has a pink putter grip that he believes gives him luck. That is something that Lisenbee doesn’t buy into.

“I’m not really superstitious,” said Lisenbee. “I don’t believe in that kind of stuff.”

He would prefer to stick to what transformed him from a good player to great one, hard work.

The Griffons maneuvered their way to a fourth place finish in the Northeastern State University Invitational despite facing very tough competition.

Junior Aaron Lisenbee led the charge for Western with a fifth place finish. He finished with a score of 216 at the event.

Lisenbee got off to a fast start with an even par in the first round and a one under par in the second round.

He finished fifth despite encountering some trouble on a par three in the third round. Lisenbee hit a ball that rolled down a cart path, and had to play his next shot off of a bridge.

Coach Jim Perry watched as one bad round took his team out of the running for a higher finish.

“Aaron’s shot off the bridge was tough,” Perry said. “That’s not something you see in golf very often.”

The Griffons also got a strong performance from junior Craig Lytle. Lytle found himself tied for 28th in the tournament with a score of 224. His solid performance helped push the Griffons into fourth place.

Other Griffon scores included a 227 from freshman Shane Feist and a 229 from senior Daniel Cordray.

The field in this event included some of the top teams from the area like number three ranked team, Central Oklahoma.

Washburn and Northeastern State also played well. All three teams finished ahead of Western with Washburn winning the tournament.

While this may have been a tough test for Western, Lisenbee thinks the team played a solid tournament.

“We did pretty well,” said Lisenbee. “We were five shots back and in second place after the first round.”

If the Griffons could have avoided a tough third round they would have been in contention to win the tournament. The team posted an even score with Washburn in two rounds.

Western will need to put together three solid rounds of golf if they hope to contend
in their next tournament. They face another tough field in the Drury Invitational held in Springfield, Mo..

“We’ll see a lot of Texas and Oklahoma teams in Springfield,” Perry said. “A lot of
teams seem to want to play in that tournament.”

After the tournament in Springfield, the Griffons will play a conference tournament at Pittsburg State. This could prove to be a big tournament for Western if they hope to compete for another MIAA conference title.

The Griffons will have to find a way to beat Washburn to have a shot at the conference title.

“We played well in our last tournament, but that Pitt State tournament will be big,”
Lisenbee said.

The team will play in the Pittsburg State Invitational October 9-10.

Soccer Falls in MIAA
The Western women had a grueling weekend facing off against Emporia State on Sept. 23, and No. 9 ranked Wasburn University on Sept. 24.

The Griffs went on the road to Emporia, Kansas where the Hornets defeated the women lost 3-1. The very next day the women showed up in Topeka, Kan. to face off against the The Lady Blues. Wasbburn came out on top with a 4-0 shut out. The Lady Blues are now 10-0-1 and 5-0- 0 in the MIAA.

The Griffons now stand at a 1-6-2 season record, and 0-4-0 in MIAA play. Western will have its next chance to find victory on the road in Warrensburg, Mo., on Sept. 29.

Volleyball’s ups & downs
The Griffons visited familar territory when they went on the road to Emporia State last Saturday.

Western was able to walk away with a winning score of 3-2 against the The Lady Blues, something the team has not been able to pull off in three seasons.

Last Friday, however, was a different story for the Griffs when they faced No. 4 ranked Truman State University. Truman stated dominance over the Griffons on their own court in a three game sweep. Western is now 9-7 overall, and 1-3 in the MIAA.

No matter the ups and downs for the women, they are preparing for another battle. This time the team’s target is Fort Hayes State. The game is scheduled to be held at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Sept. 29.

Men’s golf enters MIAA
The Griffon golf team wrapped up the Silo Ridge Golf Tournament on Sept. 18-19, with the No. 5 slot.

The Silo Ridge event marked the first MIAA conference tournament for the Griffon men.

Junior Aaron Lisenbee ended the tournament with the No. 4 individual seat. Lisenbee shot 148 total for the two day tournament and the led the Griffs to the No. 5 spot. Senior Daniel Cordray was not far behind his teammate with a total score of 152, while junior Craig Lytle and freshman Shane Feist both shot a 157.

The Griffs now have a No. 4 and No.5 finishing record.

“I had one bad hole in the first round, other than that I think I played well,” Lisenbee said.

Coach Jim Perry feels that the less experienced players also helped the Griffons with a good performance and finish. Freshmen Shane Feist fired a 232 to help the Griffons land the No. 4 position, and fellow freshman Brad Crawford also had a solid tournament.

“Brad had a real good tournament. He was 5 under at one time,” Perry said, “Once he gets some experience he will be able to keep it at 5 under or lower.”

Senior Daniel Cordray also turned in a great performance. He shot a 227 and finished in fifteenth place. Craig Lytle fired a solid 233 and Caleb Carter turned in a 246 to help boost the team.

The Griffons are optimistic about this season despite losing three of their top six players from last year. The team has their sights set on winning the conference despite these losses.

“That is a goal that we set,” Perry said. “Nobody thought we could challenge before that tournament.”

Although the first tournament was a success, the team realizes that winning the conference won’t be easy. “Washburn will be tough to beat, they have a good team.” Perry said.

Having to play tough teams doesn’t discourage the Griffons. The Griffon men may have shocked several of the other teams with their strong finish. A contributing factor to this reaction is the loss of key players such as Brice Garnett from last year’s team.

Lisenbee and his fellow teammates hope that the team can continue to improve as the season progresses.

“I think we can win the conference,” Lisenbee said. “Hopefully I can shoot some low rounds and everyone else can follow.” It’s early in the season, but the team looks as if it will be able to put together a solid finish.

The team’s goal of winning the conference looks to be within reach. The Griffons must build on this strong start as the season progresses if they hope to win the conference for a second straight year. The Griffons next tournament is the Southwest Baptist Invitational on Sept. 18, in Bolivar, MO.