Penn men's golf conquered the wind, questions about their depth, and 19 other teams this weekend in Bethany Beach, Del., so it's certainly understandable that two teams managed to slip through its grasp.
Minus their star senior Mike Blodgett, the Quakers used a strong collective effort to finish third among the 22 schools participating in the George Washington Invitational at Bear Trap Dunes.
Penn coach Scott Allen made sure the course didn't live up to its name, preparing his team to physically and mentally overcome the "trap" that windy conditions often pose.
"It's traditionally windy there," the first-year coach said. "It's a course that's pretty close to the ocean and it doesn't have very much in the way of trees.
"You've got to work on hitting lower shots," he explained. "You've got to work on controlling your distances better and . being able to shape the shots with or against the wind."
With the injured Blodgett out, new anchors in senior Brett Rendina (74-75-149) and sophomore Kevin Huntington (76-74-150) quickly emerged. The two tied for eighth and 10th, respectively, among the 117 golfers. Despite being new to the team, Allen appreciates the hard work each has put in and could not help but feel "so proud" of their leadership.
"It meant a lot to everybody that Brett and Kevin got off to good starts on Friday," Allen said of his newfound leaders. "It made everyone else in the tournament feel a little bit more relaxed [and feel] a little bit less pressure."
Freshman Scotty Williams (77-76-153, 19th) and Dillon Hakes (76-78-154, 25th) also shined, proving themselves to be valuable pieces at the back end of the lineup. The duo showed persistence rarely found in first-year golfers.
"On Saturday they both got off to shaky starts and did a great job to hang in there and keep fighting when maybe you'd expect a freshman to fold a little bit," Allen said.
Bryant Williams - abroad during the fall season - as well as Clint Dewey and Sam Williams got valuable experience by competing in the event as individuals.
Blodgett's injury "is giving a lot of guys opportunities to play," Allen said. "If there's anything negative that people could say about us in the fall, it's that maybe . we were a team that relied too heavily on Mike's scores."
This weekend provided the start of an answer to Penn's questionable depth. The upcoming April 6 Rehoboth Beach Invitational will represent another challenge. If the GW Invitational was any indication, the team can triumph over the ongoing questions, and last year's Ivy League individual champion will become more of a luxury than a necessity.
