Golf Teams Continue to Rebuild

Harvard golf has always left something to be desired.

Finishing in the middle of the pack has been commonplace for both the men's and women's teams, but this past season may have signaled a change, at least for the male side of the draw.

While the women struggled once again to build a baby program, the men took huge strides in building their team to the level of a regional contender.

Gonzalez, Freshmen Lead Men's Charge

For the first time in recent memory, the men's golf team was able to effectively mix its youth and experience to create a semblance of a competitive program.

Not only did the team nab a first-place finish at the Greater Boston Championships in April, but Gonzalez stole the show at the Ivy League Golf Championships three days earlier by nabbing the Individual Medal with a two-day, three-over-par 73 performance.

After last season, in which match in and match out the fate of the team rested solely on the shoulders of Luis Sanchez '97--the eighth-best collegiate golfer in New England--Harvard was looking to construct a more balanced attack and move itself into the upper echelon of regional golf powers.

With the help of a strong core of freshman and a breakout season for Gonzalez, the Crimson uncovered what had been an elusive antidote to the team's recent struggles.

"This year has been really exciting, especiallyfor someone who has been around when the teamhasn't had a clear focus," said junior DougMacBean. "Now everyone takes it every seriouslyand everyone knows that we are a legitimatecontender for the Ivies."

From the first moment the four freshmen steppedfoot onto the team's home course in Brookline thisfall, the esprit de corps was undeniable.

"We didn't really know how much depth we wouldhave for this year," said co-captain Andy Rourke."We were hurting for some young talent and wedidn't know who exactly would come out for theteam. But after the first day, [the freshmen]showed that they could really compete."

Although Harvard finished fifth, sixth and 12thin its only fall tournaments, there were hints ofpotential. After a nightmarish first day at theDartmouth Invitational, for instance, Harvarderupted in the next round with score of 296, withevery Crimson golfer breaking the 80-stroke mark.That second-day surge boosted Harvard to onlythree points behind league-foe Dartmouth and intoa respectable fifth place in the 12-team field.

Once again at the Toski Invitational, Gonzalez,who shot a team-high 73 second-round score atDartmouth, led the way with a two-day total of 152en route to the team's sixth-place finish.Freshman Tim Deardourff also turned some heads byshooting a solid 155 (77-78).

"There is really no limit--we have the playerswe need," said freshman Matt Dost, who shot ateam-best 147 at the Dartmouth Tournament. "Thereare more good players [on this team], but it isstill the same idea--you have to shoot good scoresto finish high."

Those fall tournaments were only the beginningfor a team that would make its presence knownduring the all-important spring campaign.

After a rocky start at the Yale Invitational inthe early days of April, where Harvard placed adisappointing 15th out of 20 teams, the Crimsonslowly began piecing together a full package.

The first sign of life came at a three-teammatch in Princeton, N.J. against Princeton andYale. Despite the third-place finish, Harvard wasled by a solid performance by freshman KajVasales, who notched a team-low 73.

The ensuing fifth-place finish at the IvyLeague Championships was not much better from ateam perspective, but it was where Gonzalez hadthe breakout tournament of his career.

Golfers were forced to battle heavy rains andunplayable greens in Bethpage, N.Y., as play wassuspended two times during the first round for atotal of an hour. Gonzalez was unfazed, however,as the senior posted an impressive three-over-par73 on the first day before duplicating thatperformance in the final round of play. Thecombined score of 143 was the lowest for thetournament, and it earned Gonzalez the IndividualMedal as well as a spot on the All-Ivy team.

"It was a great win to finish off my career,"said Gonzalez, who had not won a tournament in hislast six years of competition. "It felt prettygood--it was my first win in a long time."

Following the lead of its captain, the Crimsonpeaked as a whole in its very next tournament, theGreater Boston Championships. Playing at the localConcord Country Club, Deardourff and Dost led theway with a pair of 76s to earn the Crimson itssecond consecutive title.

Record: N/A

Coach: Bob Leonard (men) Warren Smith(women)

Highlights: Wins Greater BostonChampionships; Alex Gonzalez wins Individual Medalat Ivy Championships

Seniors: Alex Gonzalez, Andy Rourke

"It was great to win an event, especially to doit so convincingly," MacBean said. "The key to thecourse was to play well on the first nine. Then wehad to survive holes two through five, whereunbelievable undulation makes local knowledgereally important."

The team finished off the season with mediocre10th and seventh place finishes at the New EnglandDivision I Championships and the Black KnightInvitational respectively, but by that point theCrimson had already made its indelible mark on theregional golf scene.

Gonzalez, who picked a perfect time to have theseason of his career, combined with the stellarfreshman class to produce a golf team, thatalthough is still far from exuding dominance inthe region, is at least now in a position tochallenge for the top spots.

Another Season of Baby Steps for Women'sGolf

Last year the Crimson graduated the two golferswho were there when the program first started.Co-captains Megan Murray '97 and Alexis Boyle '93left the Crimson ranks last spring with hopes thattheir "baby" would soon flourish into a boomingcompetitor in the New England area.

After a 1997-98 season in which Harvardfinished no higher than fourth in any of itstournaments, the dreams of the past Crimsoncaptains are obviously far from being realized.

Still hampered with a small roster, Harvardbegan its fall season at the DartmouthInvitational in September. Tucked away in themountains of Hanover, N.H., the Crimson golfersmanaged only a seventh-place finish in a field of12 teams.

That performance was typical of what was tocome. In the team's only other two tournaments ofthe fall, it finished in eighth and fifth place.

Heading into the spring campaign, the Crimsonwas hoping for better luck.

Instead of a miraculous turnaround, however,the Harvard golfers were met with the same type ofdismal results. After finishing seventh out of 13teams at the Boston College Invitational on April4, the Crimson went on to place fourth out of fivesquads at the Ivy League Championships thefollowing weekend.

Then, the Crimson hit its lowest point. Playingat the Massachusetts IntercollegiateChampionships, Harvard could not beat anyone as itfinished in fifth place out of five teams.

The last major tournament of the season was theNew England Championships in late April, whereHarvard notched an eighth-place finish

"This year has been really exciting, especiallyfor someone who has been around when the teamhasn't had a clear focus," said junior DougMacBean. "Now everyone takes it every seriouslyand everyone knows that we are a legitimatecontender for the Ivies."

From the first moment the four freshmen steppedfoot onto the team's home course in Brookline thisfall, the esprit de corps was undeniable.

"We didn't really know how much depth we wouldhave for this year," said co-captain Andy Rourke."We were hurting for some young talent and wedidn't know who exactly would come out for theteam. But after the first day, [the freshmen]showed that they could really compete."

Although Harvard finished fifth, sixth and 12thin its only fall tournaments, there were hints ofpotential. After a nightmarish first day at theDartmouth Invitational, for instance, Harvarderupted in the next round with score of 296, withevery Crimson golfer breaking the 80-stroke mark.That second-day surge boosted Harvard to onlythree points behind league-foe Dartmouth and intoa respectable fifth place in the 12-team field.

Once again at the Toski Invitational, Gonzalez,who shot a team-high 73 second-round score atDartmouth, led the way with a two-day total of 152en route to the team's sixth-place finish.Freshman Tim Deardourff also turned some heads byshooting a solid 155 (77-78).

"There is really no limit--we have the playerswe need," said freshman Matt Dost, who shot ateam-best 147 at the Dartmouth Tournament. "Thereare more good players [on this team], but it isstill the same idea--you have to shoot good scoresto finish high."

Those fall tournaments were only the beginningfor a team that would make its presence knownduring the all-important spring campaign.

After a rocky start at the Yale Invitational inthe early days of April, where Harvard placed adisappointing 15th out of 20 teams, the Crimsonslowly began piecing together a full package.

The first sign of life came at a three-teammatch in Princeton, N.J. against Princeton andYale. Despite the third-place finish, Harvard wasled by a solid performance by freshman KajVasales, who notched a team-low 73.

The ensuing fifth-place finish at the IvyLeague Championships was not much better from ateam perspective, but it was where Gonzalez hadthe breakout tournament of his career.

Golfers were forced to battle heavy rains andunplayable greens in Bethpage, N.Y., as play wassuspended two times during the first round for atotal of an hour. Gonzalez was unfazed, however,as the senior posted an impressive three-over-par73 on the first day before duplicating thatperformance in the final round of play. Thecombined score of 143 was the lowest for thetournament, and it earned Gonzalez the IndividualMedal as well as a spot on the All-Ivy team.

"It was a great win to finish off my career,"said Gonzalez, who had not won a tournament in hislast six years of competition. "It felt prettygood--it was my first win in a long time."

Following the lead of its captain, the Crimsonpeaked as a whole in its very next tournament, theGreater Boston Championships. Playing at the localConcord Country Club, Deardourff and Dost led theway with a pair of 76s to earn the Crimson itssecond consecutive title.

Record: N/A

Coach: Bob Leonard (men) Warren Smith(women)

Highlights: Wins Greater BostonChampionships; Alex Gonzalez wins Individual Medalat Ivy Championships

Seniors: Alex Gonzalez, Andy Rourke

"It was great to win an event, especially to doit so convincingly," MacBean said. "The key to thecourse was to play well on the first nine. Then wehad to survive holes two through five, whereunbelievable undulation makes local knowledgereally important."

The team finished off the season with mediocre10th and seventh place finishes at the New EnglandDivision I Championships and the Black KnightInvitational respectively, but by that point theCrimson had already made its indelible mark on theregional golf scene.

Gonzalez, who picked a perfect time to have theseason of his career, combined with the stellarfreshman class to produce a golf team, thatalthough is still far from exuding dominance inthe region, is at least now in a position tochallenge for the top spots.

Another Season of Baby Steps for Women'sGolf

Last year the Crimson graduated the two golferswho were there when the program first started.Co-captains Megan Murray '97 and Alexis Boyle '93left the Crimson ranks last spring with hopes thattheir "baby" would soon flourish into a boomingcompetitor in the New England area.

After a 1997-98 season in which Harvardfinished no higher than fourth in any of itstournaments, the dreams of the past Crimsoncaptains are obviously far from being realized.

Still hampered with a small roster, Harvardbegan its fall season at the DartmouthInvitational in September. Tucked away in themountains of Hanover, N.H., the Crimson golfersmanaged only a seventh-place finish in a field of12 teams.

That performance was typical of what was tocome. In the team's only other two tournaments ofthe fall, it finished in eighth and fifth place.

Heading into the spring campaign, the Crimsonwas hoping for better luck.

Instead of a miraculous turnaround, however,the Harvard golfers were met with the same type ofdismal results. After finishing seventh out of 13teams at the Boston College Invitational on April4, the Crimson went on to place fourth out of fivesquads at the Ivy League Championships thefollowing weekend.

Then, the Crimson hit its lowest point. Playingat the Massachusetts IntercollegiateChampionships, Harvard could not beat anyone as itfinished in fifth place out of five teams.

The last major tournament of the season was theNew England Championships in late April, whereHarvard notched an eighth-place finish