Wednesday, February 29, 2012

3rd Place Finish for IHCC in Texas

Bullard, TX -- The Indian Hills golf team opened its spring season with a third-place finish at the Tyler JC Spring Invitational. Texarkana CC won the meet by 18 strokes over runnerup Tyler, which edged out the Warriors by two shots.

Indian Hills trailed the co-leaders, Texarkana and Tyler, by only four strokes after the first day, but, according to IHCC coach Mike Hagen, his squad struggled with some difficult pin placements in the second round. "Short-game wise, we have a lot to work on," said Hagen, "but those are things we can work on and improve."

IHCC sophomore Jon Paul Blampied was in contention for the individual title until a second-round 77 put him in 4th place. Blampied had an opening-round 74, the second-best score for the first 18 holes.

The Warriors had one other top-ten finish -- freshman William White was 8th with a pair of 78s.

Indian Hills will venture back into Texas for their next meet, the UST Mamiya Texas Intercollegiate Mar. 11-12.

"It's going to be a heck of a field," said Hagen. "Top NAIA teams and junior college programs will be there. We'll have to put in some work and see where we stand."

TYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE SPRING INVITATIONAL

TEAM SCORING

Texarkana CC 304-305=609; Tyler JC 304-323=627; INDIAN HILLS 308-321=629; Murray State CC 310-320=630; Texas College 428-419=847

INDIAN HILLS SCORES

4. Jon Paul Blampied 74-77=151; 8. William White 78-78=156; T14. Ben Ludlam 75-82=157; T21. Kieran Goodall 80-84=164; T23. Monty Lack 81-84=165; 26. Mitch Tucker 83-86=169

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Hagen and Tucker to Represent NJCAA in World Event

OTTUMWA --- Indian Hills Community College golf coach Mike Hagen and one of his players, Mitch Tucker, have been selected to take part in a prestigious international competition this summer.

Hagen will be one of two coaches and Tucker, from Oskaloosa, one of six players who will go to Liberec, Czech Republic in June for the World University Golf Championship.

Hagen and David Lynn, coach at Oklahoma Christian University, will lead the U.S. team in the World University Championships which take place every two years.

Tucker will be one of three players representing NJCAA schools in the competition that will feature players from all over the world.

Hagen is in his seventh season as golf coach at Indian Hills. He led the Warriors to the Division I national title last spring.

Tucker was ranked No. 1 in the final Class 3A individual rankings as a senior at Oskaloosa High School. He tied for the runner-up spot in the state tournament to cap his high school career.

This past fall, in his introduction to collegiate golf, Tucker had three top-three finishes for Indian Hills. He was third in the Warriors’ opening meet of the fall and came in second in the next two meets. The IHCC freshman was 23rd in the NJCAA National Preview meet to close the fall campaign.

The World Golf Championship will be held from July 4-7 in the Czech Republic.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

An IHCC Presence at National Golf Meet

Ottumwa -- A current Indian Hills Community College golfer and a former IHCC player are included in the field for the 2011 Patriot All-America Invitational to be played next week.

IHCC sophomore Jon Paul Blampied and Steven Ihm, who along with Blampied was a key member of last year’s Indian Hills team that was the NJCAA Division I golf national champions, are preparing to take part in the 54-hole tournament that will be played Dec. 28-30 at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

Ihm, a sophomore, is now attending the University of Iowa and is a member of the Hawkeyes’ golf team.

The field for the Arizona event will include 84 collegiate golfers from across the nation, and includes 21 of the world’s top-100 ranked amateurs.

Both Blampied, from Durban, South Africa, and Ihm, from Peosta, Iowa, were named PING All-Americans after their performance in last spring’s national championship meet. Players earning PING All-American honors from the previous season in the NJCAA, NAIA and the three divisions of the NCAA are eligible to be invited to participate in the Patriot All-America.

“This is truly an elite field of collegians and the first opportunity for them to go heads up in tournament competition,” said Ed Gowan, executive director of the Arizona Golf Association, one of the partners in the tourney.

The sponsors are partnering with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the inaugural event. To show support for Folds of Honor, each golfer will carry a commemorative PING golf bag bearing the name of a fallen soldier from the community in which they live or attend school.

Another former IHCC Warrior, Dan Dawson, was also a PING All-American last spring and was eligible to compete in the tournament next week. But Dawson is back in his native England and won’t be playing.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Hagen to Coach U.S. Team Overseas

Ottumwa -- IHCC golf coach Mike Hagen has been named a co-coach of the U.S. men’s team that will take part in the 2012 World University Championships next summer. The event will be held in Liberec, Czech Republic July 2-7.

Hagen and David Lynn, coach at Oklahoma Christian University, will lead the U.S. team that will be determined at the conclusion of the 2012 spring season. The top three U.S.-born players at both the NJCAA and NAIA Championships next spring will make up the six-player roster.

Hagen was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year and the GCAA Eaton/Golf Pride District III and National Coach of the Year after leading Indian Hills to the 2011 NJCAA National Title last May.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Golf Squad Still on Top

Ottumwa -- The Indian Hills Community College golf team, fresh off a first-place finish in the Blue Devil Classic in Kansas City, Kansas this week, is still ranked No. 1 in the nation among National Junior College Athletic Association Division I schools.

The Warriors were the top-rated team in the preseason poll and are still atop the rankings after winning two of their first three meets of the fall season. They came in second in their other meet.

Meridian CC is ranked second, two points behind the Warriors, and Western Texas College is third.

Indian Hills is busy preparing for the NJCAA National Preview, a four-day meet that begins this Saturday in Newton, Kansas. IHCC won that meet last fall and followed it up by winning the national championship last spring.

Monday, October 3, 2011

McLendon is Medalist as Warriors Win

Panora, IA -- Freshman Tucker McLendon led a group of four Indian Hills golfers who finished in the top five as the Warriors rolled to the team title in the AIB Fall Invitational on Saturday.

McLendon was the meet medalist. He opened with a two-under par 70 on Friday and struggled a little in his second round, recording a 79. But his 149 total for 36 holes was still two strokes better than a group of three golfers, including two of his teammates.

Both Mitch Tucker and Monty Lack finished at 151. Tucker shot a one-over 73 on Saturday.

Ben Ludlam was another stroke behind Tucker and Lack with a 152. Ludlam overcame a first-round 81 to shoot the best round of the day, a one-under 71, in the second round.

The Warriors will compete in the Blue Devil Fall Golf Classic Oct. 10-11 in Kansas City, Kansas.

AIB Fall Invitational

Team Scores: Indian Hills 303-297=600; Kirkwood CC 311-313=624; William Penn U. 318-313=631; DMACC 315-320=635; AIB 314-326=640; Clarke U. 320-325=645; Graceland U. 321-335=656; Iowa Central CC 331-332=663; Waldorf College 370-366=736

Indian Hills Scores: 1. Tucker McLendon 70-79=149; T2 Mitch Tucker 78-73=151; T2. Monty Lack 76-75=151; 5. Ben Ludlam 81-71=152; T12. Jon Paul Blampied 79-78=157; T14. Kevin Workman 75-83=158

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ludlam is Medalist as Warriors Finish 2nd in Illinois

Marion, Ill. -- John A. Logan defeated Indian Hills by six strokes as the two defending junior college national champions squared off at the John A. Logan Invitational at the Kokopeli Golf Course on Monday.

The Volunteers, the NJCAA Division II champ last spring, won the rain-shortened meet with a score of 432. The Warriors, who won the Division I crown in May, faltered over the final nine holes after the two teams were tied through the first 18 holes.

Indian Hills is counting on some talented freshmen to help the Warriors make a run at defending their title this year and two of them came through very nicely in IHCC's first meet of the fall season.

Ben Ludlam was the meet medalist with a score of 103 for 27 holes. Mitch Tucker was third as the IHCC frosh finished two shots back of Ludlam. The two returning players from a year ago were next for Indian Hills. John Paul Blampied had a 113 and Monty Lack a 116.

The Warriors head to Lake Panorama for the AIB Classic this Friday and Saturday.

John A. Logan Invitational

Team Scores -- 1. John A. Logan 142-290=432; 2. Indian Hills 144-294=438; 3. Rend Lake 154-313=457; 4. Danville 154-318=472; 5. Parkland 159-314=475; 6. Mineral Area 160-325=485; 7. Vincennes 165-341=506; 8. Kaskaskia 176-343=519

Indian Hills Scores -- Ben Ludlam 34-69=103; Mitch Tucker 35-71=106; John Paul Blampied 37-76=113, Monty Lack 38-787=116; Tucker McLendon 40-77=117; Kevin Workman 38-79=117