Unfinished business is driving the Hillsdale College men's golf team as it prepares to compete in the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional on Thursday.
Two years ago, in 2019, the Chargers arrived in Hot Springs, Arkansas with high hopes after earning its first ever NCAA Regional qualifying berth in program history.
But despite a strong final round, the Chargers couldn't overcome a tough opening round to get back into contention, tying for 13th place overall.
Hillsdale enters this year's Central/Midwest Regional, taking place from May 6-8 at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Kansas City, Missouri, hoping to use that experience to its advantage as it seeks one of four qualifying berths for the NCAA National Championship on May 17-21 at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
The top three scorers from the 2019 NCAA Regional team – seniors George Roberts and Ryan Zetwick, and sophomore Josh Davenport – will all be playing for the Chargers this weekend.
In the case of Roberts and Zetwick, who both were slated to graduate in 2020 and are playing with an extra year of eligibility from the cancellation of the Spring 2020 season, getting back to this stage was a major factor in their decision to return for a fifth year.
Led by Roberts and Zetwick, the Chargers have had their finest season since reinstating the program in 2013. Hillsdale has finished in the top five as a team in six of the nine events they've played in, with five top three finishes and three runner-up finishes. In their most recent outing, the Chargers took runner-up honors at the G-MAC Championships, their best-ever finish in a spring conference championship since the program returned.
Four different players have recorded top 10 individual finishes for the Chargers this year. Roberts and Zetwick both have four top 10 finishes each this season in nine events, with Roberts recording two top five finishes and Zetwick earning three top-five placements. The pair both earned All-G-MAC first team honors as well.
Underclassmen also have stood out for the Chargers. Gerry Jones Jr. earned the first top-five finish of his career at the Music City Invitational in October, and Davenport has been a consistent scorer as well for Hillsdale. While freshman Will Verduzco hasn't gotten a top 10 finish yet this season for the Chargers, he's been impressive in six events, posting the team's third best scoring average (74.13) and looking well on his way to reaching those heights.
Hillsdale is currently seeded fifth among the eight Midwest Regional teams competing in this week's event. The Chargers have beaten two teams ahead of them, Findlay and Maryville, before this season, and been competitive in rounds with top-seeded Indianapolis, making Hillsdale an intriguing dark horse in the event if the Chargers can string together three good rounds.
The Central Region includes several top teams, including MIAA Champion Central Missouri and GAC Champion Arkansas Tech that will make getting one of the four NCAA qualifying spots difficult.
The 16 qualifying teams will play three rounds over three days, with the top team winning the regional title and the top four teams and the top individual not on a qualifying team advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championship round.
Live results will be available on golfstat.com at the link above.
Tournament Field
CENTRAL/MIDWEST REGIONAL
Shoal Creek Golf Club, Kansas City, Missouri; William Jewell College and the Kansas City Sports Commission, host
Central Region:
1. University of Central Missouri [Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association]
2. Arkansas Tech University [Great American Conference]
3. Henderson State University
4. Washburn University
5. Missouri Western State University
6. Southwest Oklahoma State University
7. University of Sioux Falls
8. Winona State University [Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference]
Individuals:
1. Luke Palmowski, Rogers State University
2. Kade Johnson, Southern Arkansas University
3. Roman Timmerman, Southern Arkansas University
Midwest Region:
1. University of Indianapolis
2. Grand Valley State University
3. University of Findlay
4. Maryville University of Saint Louis [Great Lakes Valley Conference]
5. Hillsdale College
6. University of Missouri – St. Louis
7. Trevecca Nazarene University [Great Midwest Athletic Conference]
8. Ferris State University [Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]
Individuals:
1. Carl Miltun, Missouri University of Science and Technology
2. Grant Haefner, Wayne State University (Michigan)
3. Pha Vichitcharoenpai, McKendree University