Penn College archers, golfers set for nationals

With finals week behind them, Pennsylvania College of Technology archers and golfers have turned their full attention to the task at hand: competing next week at nationals.

By winning the United East Championship April 29-30, the golf team qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships for the second time in three years and will compete starting Tuesday at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

The college’s archers will be in Statesboro, Georgia, Friday through Sunday for the USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals.

Golf
The Wildcats will be in a field of 43 teams and 221 golfers in the sport’s premier event. After 36 holes of play Tuesday and Wednesday, the field will be trimmed to the top 18 teams and the top six individuals who are not on a qualifying team, who will continue playing on Thursday and Friday.

Methodist University, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the defending team champ.

At the UE conference championships, sophomore Peyton Mussina, of Montoursville, led the team with a two-day 144 score and finished second, while freshman Gunner Redmond, of Lock Haven, placed eighth (156); sophomore Will Orwig, of Mifflintown, was 10th (156); junior Trevor Keaton, of Worcester, tied for 12th (159); and sophomore Gavin Baer, of Bainbridge, tied for 25th (166) as the Wildcats tallied a 613 (top four finishers combined score) to outdistance the nine-team field.

For their efforts, Mussina earned UE first-team honors, Redmond and Orwig earned second-team honors, and Rob Lytle, in his first full season, was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

“It truly is an honor that Penn College will represent the United East Conference as the automatic qualifier to the 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship,” Lytle said. “I believe they are ready for the challenge mentally and emotionally, but I am sure there will be some nervous energy when we pull into Keene Trace Golf Club the first time.

“The team has spent the last two weeks working on all aspects of their game, a lot of range work as well as playing.”

Practice rounds are scheduled Sunday and Monday on both the par 72, 6,974-yard Champions Trace course and the par 72, 6,701-yard Keene Run course, and a block party is set for the players and coaches Sunday evening.

“I believe it will take sub-300 a day in order to make the cut,” Lytle said. “I haven't really set any expectations yet. I want them to enjoy the experience and get a feel for the big stage. We will discuss expectations the night before the first round.

“The key to their success will be to just play their own game, stay within themselves and just take it one shot at a time. They are all capable of playing well.”

Both Keane Trace courses have Bermuda grass, presenting an additional challenge.

“We don't get to play that often on Bermuda grass. The practice rounds will be critical. The first difference the players will see is the grain of Bermuda grass greens and how that will influence putts. The second will be Bermuda grass rough and how sometimes that can be spongy and grabby. We will focus on that in the practice rounds as well as charting the course,” Lytle said.

In 2021 when it last won a conference championship, Penn College finished 34th in a 37-team field after rounds of 347-320–667. Wildcat Kohltin Bartlow, of Montgomery, led the way, tying for 71st of 191 after rounds of 80-73–153.

Archery
At the Eastern Regional Outdoor Championship in April, three Wildcats – sophomores Matthew Byrnes, of Manahawkin, New Jersey, and Alex Edwards, of Kutztown, in the men’s compound discipline and freshman Brady Fowkes, of Mayport, in men’s fixed pins – earned All-East honors and will lead the squad at Georgia.

Last year at nationals, two Penn College men’s teams – compound and fixed pins – advanced to the quarterfinals in their disciplines. However, just three of the individuals return this season: Edwards and sophomores Jon Vought, of Athens, in men’s compound, and Jansen Balmer, of Ephrata, in fixed pins.

In the overall team standings in 2022, the Wildcats were 16 of 23.

This year at nationals, Byrnes and Edwards will be joined by Emery Gunsallus, of Mill Hall, in men’s compound, while Fowkes and Balmer will be joined by Grant Walters, of Dover, in men’s fixed pins. And, senior Alexis Burrell, of Danville, will compete in women’s fixed pins.

“This will be a new experience for a few of the archers. Mentally we are prepared, but nerves and emotions usually take over when the tournament starts,” coach Dustin Bartron said.

“We have been preparing for this tournament since March, doing some mental training and drills inside until conditions permitted outside practices. Once outside, the archers shot at several different times of the day to get familiar with all lighting, weather and wind conditions they may face,” the third-year coach said.

“Overall, we are a small team in comparison to other programs, but we have some great talent. The team dynamic among this group is stronger than any I have seen in the past. We are on track to finish in the top 10 with one to two All-Americans,” Bartron said, pointing out that “controlling the nerves and emotions will be the number one key to success. We will need to make adjustments as the weekend plays out and we get deeper into the competition.”

Historically since the sport began at the college in 1997, teams have placed in the top 10 11 times, finishing as high as second in the nation in 2011 and 2012.

In all, 43 Wildcat archers have been awarded All-American status 88 times (based on a combination of results from the indoor and outdoor nationals), the most recent in 2018.

SCHEDULES
Golf
Tuesday-Friday, May 16-19 – NCAA Division III Championships at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky.

Archery
Friday-Sunday, May 19-21 – USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals at Statesboro, Ga.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website .
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website .

No. 39-B