George Washington University Athletics
GW Golf Aims to Set #RaiseHigh Foundation in 2014-15
9/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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With five returners from a third-place showing at last year's Atlantic 10 Championship, GW golf has its sights firmly set on building a powerhouse program with a consistent and successful 2014-15 campaign.
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"The theme for this year is 'the foundation,' because we truly believe that this team is going to lay the groundwork for what GW golf stands for in the future," said second-year Head Coach Chuck Scheinost, who in his first season guided a Colonials' team with no seniors to third in the A-10 after being picked to finish seventh.
"'The foundation' is a great theme for us this year," said Jack Persons, GW's lone senior in 2014-15. "This team is made up of guys who want to put in the work and become the team that future players chase."
"Overall, the talent is there. All of our guys are excited and fired up about what we can accomplish this year," added Coach Scheinost.
That talent comes in the form of the five returners who led GW in the 2014 A-10 Championship as well as four newcomers, including two freshmen who comprise the league's top-rated recruiting class.
Heading the list of returners is Persons, a three-year stalwart whom Coach Scheinost expects to compete for an individual spot at NCAA Regionals. "Jack's going to lead us. He's already going to be one of the better players in program history; we're looking for him to take his game to another level," said Coach Scheinost of the 2014 A-10 All-Conference performer.
"Our goal is to win A-10's; I believe we are one of the best teams in the conference now and it's up to us to set the standard for GW golf going forward," added Persons, who helped the Colonials win an A-10 title as a freshman in 2012. "Personally, I want to set a good example for the team this year. I want to push these guys because I know we can turn some heads. No matter how I play, I want to enjoy the journey. A-10's will be there waiting for us at the end of the year, but it's how we practice and how we play leading up to then that will make all the difference for us."
Juniors Michael Helton, who set his career-low round on five separate occasions in 2013-14, and Steve Piela played key roles in the Colonials' late-season surge last spring and will be counted on to provide leadership as upperclassmen.
Coach Scheinost will also look for an influx of talent and maturity from junior Pierre Tillement, a native of France who is eligible immediately after transferring from Texas Tech this past summer.
"Pierre badly wants to contribute and be successful," he said. "He has a phenomenal swing and great touch around the greens. If he can keep the perspective of enjoying the game for what it is, I think he will have a great first year at GW."
GW's depth continues to its super sophomores Michael Heda and Lucas Farmer, a duo which partnered for impressive debut seasons in 2013-14. Heda led the Colonials in scoring and matched Persons' ninth-place A-10 Championship finish to earn team MVP honors, while Farmer rode the momentum of an ace and top-20 finish in his first collegiate event to a tie for 12th in his A-10 Championship debut.
Freshmen Vince Palazzolo and Jack Porcelli concluded their scholastic careers ranked Nos. 92 and 69, respectively, in the Golfweek/Sagarin Junior Boys Class of 2014 to make GW the only A-10 program with two top-100 recruits for 2014-15. Palazzolo went on to back up his ranking with sterling summer play, highlighted by a victory in the New Jersey State Junior Championship.
"Vince had a phenomenal summer, played a ton of golf and came right in and won qualifying, while Jack hits it straight as can be. We're very excited for what both of these guys will bring to the team this year," said Coach Schienost.
Bay Area native and fellow rookie Zack Bailey rounds out GW's trio of freshmen and will also push to crack the Colonials' five-man lineup this season.
Coach Scheinost has set some specific as well as flexible goals for this nine-player team that he expects to set the tone for the future of his program.
"We want to continue to progress," he said. "We've set goals of winning the A-10 Championship, to qualify for NCAA Regionals, and also to have fun and let our expectations build throughout the year. Ultimately, we want these guys to enjoy the journey."
Players Mentioned
