FHSU Men’s Golf wraps season, looks to build for next year

Photo courtesy FHSU Athletics

BY CAYDEN SANDERS

This season has been up and down in placings for the Fort Hays Men’s Golf team, competing in tough tournaments in both semesters of play. For the Tigers, this season has been about competing at another level and starting to build up the program. The team has taken steps to keep progressing from last season. 

One of the changes Fort Hays State has made is making it a priority to have regular team meetings, going over how they want to attack the course that week. Another way the team is changing is how they take care of their bodies. The team has been lifting more and changing their diets.

“We have changed how we do things, and it has benefited everyone,” sophomore Jackson Rader said. “It might not be a noticeable change, but it has been a difference-maker for us as a group.”

For the team, in addition to placing at tournaments, getting experiences and learning from each tournament they have participated in has been important. Prior to last weekend’s finale at the MIAA Championships, FHSU competed in the DBU Men’s Classic in Denton, Texas. For the Tigers, this tournament was about competing against good teams. 

Senior Bryce Cowan played a career-best mark of 67 in the opening round at DBU. 

“It was a good day for me personally, I just had everything working together and it turned into a good round,” Cowan said.

Cowan, who is in his final season with FHSU, had nothing but positive things to say about his career.

“I have had a great time here at Fort Hays and I have loved my experience here,” Cowan said. “I would not trade the time and my memories from my time being a part of the program.”

While Cowan will graduate this year, both Rader and junior Tanner Copeland are the other headliners for Fort Hays State. 

For Rader, this season has been a time to improve his game, having tied for fourth at the Newman Invitational and scoring a hole-in-one at the Fort Smith tournament at the beginning of the semester. 

Copeland had seen his successes this season early on in the year when he tied for 10th in the conference tournament hosted at Northeastern State last semester. 

“I have had some good days on the course and some bad, but overall I am improving each day and each week,” Copeland said. “I just want to continue to grind to be better in the coming season.” 

FHSU ended its year at the MIAA Championships with an eighth-place finish. Rader finished tied for 22nd while sophomore Parker Krob finished tied for 24th. 

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