June 30, 2008
CLAYTON, NC — Jonathan Burke, a rising senior on the Barton College golf team, fired rounds of 66-65–131 (-11) on Saturday and Sunday to win the Wake County Amateur Golf Championship.
Playing at par-71 Pine Hollow Golf Club, Burke, the reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and Barton's Male Athlete of the Year for 2007-08, used a hole-in-one Sunday to edge former N.C. Amateur Champion Dale Fuller by two shots. Finishing third was Barton teammate Daniel Castleberry with rounds of 67-69–136. Castleberry, a rising sophomore from Clayton, was the NCAA D-II Atlantic Region medalist and was named to the D-II Honorable Mention All-America team this past season.
Burke, who played his prep golf at Charles B. Aycock and lives in Goldsboro, carded three eagles, three birdies, two bogeys and one double in his opening-round 66, which left him two shots behind Fuller, who played collegiately at Clemson. On Sunday, Burke fired a 65 that included a hole-in-one with a 8-iron on the 175-yard 5th hole, six birdies and two bogeys. The hole-in-one was his first, and was witnessed by a number of residents who were outside their homes watching the golf.
"I just hit it, looked up and could tell it was going to be close," Burke recalled. "When it went in, I said "All right!" and held my hands up in the air. All the fans were screaming and jumping up and down like it was a big (PGA) tournament. Daniel was playing ahead of me, and when it went in, he was jumping up and down."
Playing in Sunday's final twosome, Fuller and Burke each birdied two of the first three holes, but Burke bogeyed the 4th to fall three back. His ace pulled him within one shot, then he birdie the 6th to pull even. Fuller birdied the 8th, but bogeyed the 9th while Burke fashioned another birdie for a 30 (-5) on the front side…and a one-shot lead.
"I was 1-up at the turn and never trailed again," Burke said. Fuller, who has twice advanced to the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School, finished with a 69 on Sunday.
The victory was sweet because Burke shot 68-68–136 last year in the Wake County Amateur but lost in a playoff for medalist when UNC Pembroke signee Jordan Walor birdied the first two holes. Burke was also pleased with the win because he finished 3rd in the Wayne County Amateur earlier this summer. He noted that while he was a favorite in Wayne County, "nobody knew me up here, so there was no pressure to win."
Pine Hollow's front nine is located in Johnston County while the back nine is in Wake County.
"Pine Hollow is a short course (6,600 yards), and I'm a pretty good wedge player, so it set up well for me," Burke said. "I hit driver-7 iron into one par-5 and 3-wood/8 iron into the other. I was using (Barton teammate) Stephen Harrison's Odyssey putter, and putted well, so it might not be getting it back! It just felt good to win."
With Castleberry as his caddie, Burke qualified on Thursday this past week for the Carolinas Amateur by firing a 73 (T 13th) at Bentwinds in Fuquay-Varina. He had five birdies and an eagle and started eagle-birdie-birdie in that event, so things are going his way right now.
Burke and Castleberry were Barton's top two players last season (both made the All-Region team) as the Bulldogs rose into the top 25 in both the Nike/Golf World and Golfstat rankings. Barton was ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Region for the second straight year, but got knocked out in the Super Regional at The Point Lake and Golf Club at Lake Norman.
Barton returns seven players from that team and 12th-year head coach John Hackney has added several talented players to his roster.
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June 9, 2008
Barton College President Norval Kneten considers his new role as president of Conference Carolinas right up his alley."When you think about the ideal college athletic experience, you think about Division II," Kneten said in a telephone interview while traveling through Texas on Friday afternoon. "You think about a balance in athletics and academics.
"That's what we are all about (at Barton College)."
Kneten has been selected as the president of the NCAA Div. II conference for 2008-09 — as he approaches his sixth year as Barton's president.
Barton and 11 other colleges in North and South Carolina form the league — which was the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference until being renamed, effective in 2007-08.
The CVAC exited with the Barton men's basketball team seizing the Div. II national championship, while Conference Carolinas was christened with the Mount Olive College baseball team capturing the national title.
"I am excited about the conference," Kneten commented, "and I am excited about its potential and what it's providing."
Kneten explains he's comfortable with the responsibilities because they blend with the Barton mission and its partnership with the Wilson community.
"The Div. II experience emphasizes a family-friendly environment for athletic competition," Kneten remarked.
He reasoned that Div. II best provides the athlete a balanced opportunity for athletics and academics, family involvement and the freedom to step away if choosing to do so.
Kneten proudly notes that Barton is already a "poster child" for the new campaign promoting the Div. II experience. NCAA Div. II, Kneten said, has committed approximately $1 million to its "I Chose Division II" marketing endeavor.
He pointed out the partnership between Barton and the Wilson community was featured in the first edition of "Champions," a new NCAA publication.
Barton was also prominent in the second edition with its incredible comeback in the last 45 seconds on the 2007 men's championship basketball game ranked No. 2 among all-time NCAA feats.
"This (guiding Conference Carolinas) is right up our alley," he contended.
Serving as a conference president will be a first-time experience. Does Kneten have time for the additional duties?
"Do I have time not to do it?" he responded with a laugh. "It's what Barton College is about. Twenty-two percent of our students are varsity athletes. Their average GPA (grade-point average) is actually higher than that of the overall student."
Kneten noted he has served in numerous capacities in the past, adding: "In some senses, I have been more involved in the athletic area."
Conference Carolinas, under Kneten's guidance, will continue its emphasis upon sportsmanship, promoting a game (family-friendly) environment and being attentive to athletes' travel time.
The intent is that the impact of the lessons in developing character and sportsmanship will last a lifetime.
"We have a strong conference," Kneten assured. "We have a good group of schools of comparable culture that are compatible. We have the right number for the way we do our scheduling."
However, the possibility of expansion is an issue, along with scheduling and the addition of recognized conference sports. The time spent traveling for league competition draws substantial attention.
Kneten confirmed the conference continues to be contacted by other institutions, but said expansion would probably necessitate the creation of divisions within Conference Carolinas.
The league is also moving forward, said Kneten, with its plans to establish a spring sports championship festival, beginning next spring.
Kneten welcomes the opportunity to guide the 12-school league.
"It's certainly an honor," he commented, "and I am pleased that Barton College can be represented and involved in this manner."
(Courtesy of Tom Ham, Wilson Daily Times)
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June 6, 2008
A new era in the storied history of Barton College tennis is beginning.
Barton College Director of Athletics Gary Hall announced Friday that Tom Schrecengost has been hired to coach the men's and women's tennis teams.
Schrecengost, who was born in Maryland but was raised in Pennsylvania, has 10 years of experience at the NCAA D-II tennis level. He has coached the men's and women's tennis teams at Mars Hill College since 2000 and was the women's coach at fellow Conference Carolinas league member Erskine College the previous two years. He succeeds Brian Mastin, who was at the Barton helm for 1 ½ years.
"I am very excited about getting the job," Schrecengost said Thursday night. "I think it is a unique opportunity, considering the facilities the school has in place and that Barton has a pretty good tradition in tennis (NAIA National Championships in 1979 and 1984, when the school was named Atlantic Christian College). I feel there is also a good base of talent here to work with, so it's a good situation."
He said the people he and his wife of 13 years, Kay, met while on their visit here in late May were "genuine" and that Hall was very accommodating and thorough during their visit.
"I know it is going to be a big challenge, especially with the responsibility we have to the community, but I felt at peace with the decision (to take the job) after praying about it," he said. "We just felt like this was the direction we should go."
Hall was thrilled to quickly conclude a national search that drew 44 applicants…and to secure the search committee's top choice.
"Tom will bring a wealth of experience as a successful NCAA D-II head coach for the past 10 years and also a strong experience working in instructional and tournament settings," Hall said. "He did a tremendous job at Mars Hill of building both the men's and women's teams to a level beyond where they had been when he inherited them in 2000. He demonstrated the ability to balance the need to work hard for both teams, a factor which is very important to us here at Barton. He and his wife, Kay, will be real assets to the college and the Wilson community."
In 2008, Schrecengost directed the Mars Hill men to a No. 6 Southeast Region ranking, a 13-5 overall record and a second-place finish in the South Atlantic Conference. The Lions lost 5-1 to Florida Southern in first round of the NCAA D-II Southeast Regional. His 2004 women's tennis team was ranked as high as No. 9 in the Southeast and his 2006 squad set a school record for wins with 16. From 2004-2007, the Mars Hill women posted a 50-29 win-loss record.
Schrecengost was the President's Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in 1987 while playing for the Grove City College tennis team. He transferred to the University of South Florida, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education (K-8) in 1991. He earned his Master's Degree of Physical Education in 1997 from Northwestern State University in Louisiana.
His immediate focus as Barton head coach will be to fill out his rosters, plan a practice/playing schedule and prepare to teach some courses in the Department of Physical Education and Sports Studies. They plan to move to Wilson in early July.
"Coach Schrecengost will also work on ways to breathe life back into the tremendous lighted 12-court facility we have on campus," Hall said. "We have changed this position so that it is now a 12-month position, and have done so in large part so that we can expand the number of instructional opportunities we can provide for the local community, as well as have a coach on board who can be an ambassador for the numerous events we have traditionally hosted. It is exciting to anticipate the manner in which Coach Schrecengost will lead us forward in this combination of endeavors."
Schrecengost has been directing a Summer Tennis Camp since 2001 and is looking forward to getting some clinics, camps and private lessons on his calendar in Wilson.
"This (coaching and teaching) is something I've done for a number of years, so that should help me get the job done well," he said. "I should be able to hit the ground running since the two schools I was at before are very similar to Barton.
"I don't like to set specific goals, because that limits you. I think you need to see what's in front of you, work hard, then see where it takes you. As for the community, I want to establish good relationships for lessons and clinics. I want everyone to have fun, because then they'll come back and stay involved with the game."
Schrecengost said his Mars Hill players were "disappointed" that he was leaving. "That's the hardest part," he said, "because you build relationships with the kids, so there is never a good time to leave. But, I think they understood that it was a good opportunity for me and wished me luck."
Hall, who was handling recruiting for the program the last two months, is extremely pleased that Schrecengost will be joining a veteran coaching staff.
"David Riggins, Director of Athletics at Mars Hill, is a close friend and colleague of mine," Hall said, "and he noted that there was no area in which he would rate Coach Schrecengost as anything other than a top-shelf coach and person, so I know he will be greatly missed up there (at Mars Hill)."
"I am just excited because Wilson is a good tennis community that is family oriented," Schrecengost said. "Everyone has been very warm and receptive. From our first visit, we felt pretty comfortable making the move, so we've stepped out in faith."
Posted by admin under Men's Tennis, Uncategorized, Women's Tennis | Comments (0)
June 3, 2008
Barton College has announced the signing of Lindsay Toth, of Sewickly, PA, to join the Bulldogs' women's tennis team this fall. Toth co-captained her team at Quaker Valley High School to the state championship match this past fall and she has played on the varsity there for the past three seasons. The 2006 team at Quaker Valley also played in the state championship match and the teams there won championships of the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC) and Western Pennsylvania interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) in 2005, 2006, and 2007.Toth also excelled in track and field at Quaker Valley, performing on teams in 2007 and 2008 which won WPIAL championships. In addition she has run for the Wings of Moon club track team. She was also a finalist the 2006 National Platform Tennis Championships, played in Morristown, NJ.
Toth carries a 4.08 weighed grade point average and has been named to the Distinguished Honor Roll at Quaker Valley all four years. She has been named to the National Honor Society as both a junior and senior. She has also attained the International Baccalaureate Certificate of Achievement in 2006 and has taken courses under a dual enrollment program at Robert Morris University. She has also been named as her school's Rotary Student of the Month. In addition to her athletic grant, Toth will receive a Presidential Scholarship to attend Barton. She is the daughter of Joseph and Carolyn Toth and plans to major in Fitness Management.
Toth has played for the Quaker Valley Symphonic Band and Marching Band and was selected to play for the Western Allegheny County Area Honors Band for 2004-2006. She has also participated in Youth and Government Model Legislation for all four years of high school. She is teaching tennis for the Western Area YMCA, has been a private tennis instructor, and coached the Quaker Valley Middle School Tennis Team in 2007.
"Barton College will benefit greatly by Lindsay joining us as a Bulldog this fall," stated Gary W. Hall, Barton's Director of Athletics, who is handling recruitment of tennis players as the College conducts its search for a new coach in that sport. "She has been a very successful student and athlete, and has participated in a number of other activities which certainly define her as being well-rounded. She had a very good campus visit and tryout session and it was very clear to us that before she and her mother departed campus, that we wanted her to attend Barton. She is an excellent tennis player and is so athletic that it is nearly impossible to get a passing shot or groundstroke by her. After meeting Lindsay and hitting with her, our current players very much wanted her to become a new teammate. She had other offers available to her and we feel great that she has chosen to become a Bulldog."
Barton College competes at the NCAA Division II level in the 12-member Conference Carolinas.
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June 2, 2008
CARY, N.C. — Senior forward Allie Wilkerson and junior goalkeeper Ashley Gregory, a pair of standouts for Barton College, have made the women's soccer team for the Carolina RailHawks and are currently playing on the professional developmental league squad that is based out of Cary, N.C.
Wilkerson (Bowie, MD) and Gregory (Wilson, NC) are part of the United Soccer League team that is comprised primarily of NCAA D-I players. Only four RailHawks are from non-DI programs. The FC W-League is the highest level of regular-season competition currently available to female players in the United States. W-League rosters also include former professional and international players.
Wilkerson, who transferred to Barton after one season at N.C. State, was the Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer Player of the Year in the fall of 2007. She played for the RailHawks in May, when Carolina posted a 3-1-1 record. Wilkerson led Conference Carolinas in scoring with 10 goals in 18 matches as the Lady Bulldogs went 8-5-5 overall and 7-2-2 (third) in the league. Wilkerson tied for first in the league with three game-winning goals under first-year head coach Michael Michalakis.
Gregory has been the starting goalkeeper for the Lady Bulldogs since enrolling at Barton. She was just officially added to the RailHawks' roster. She ranked first in Conference Carolinas in save percentage at .885, logging seven shutouts and 77 saves in 15 matches. She also posted a stellar goals-against average of .67.
The RailHawks play their home matches at WakeMed Soccer Park, formerly the SAS Soccer Park.
For more information about Gregory joining the squad, follow the link below.
http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=141
Posted by admin under Uncategorized, Women's Soccer | Comments (0)
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