The resurgence of redshirt senior Dan Lensing sparked the Bradley men’s golf team this week at the Valparaiso Crusader Collegiate in Chesterton, Indiana. Lensing led the Braves to their first tournament victory of the season as he fired a 5-under 211 en route to his first career win.
Every Bradley golfer finished in the top-20. Senior Michael Mounce tied for ninth place at 219. Junior Charles Jahn finished two shots back of Mounce at 221. Seniors Branden Mounce and Drake Bushong finished 14th and 17th overall to round out the scoring.
“They really battled and Dan did a phenomenal job,” head coach Jeff Roche said. “The guy that he was battling for the individual title was in his group so they were just going back and forth … and he was just rock solid.”
Lensing explained that consistency in his short game and his ability to remain cool under pressure allowed him to take home the victory.
“I was able to stay consistent throughout the whole tournament because I stayed very patient and didn’t let any bad shot affect my overall performance,” Lensing said. “I also knew when and how to calm myself down when I needed to hit a crucial shot when the pressure was on.”
Lensing, a fifth-year senior, has struggled to stay healthy during his time at Bradley but feels his game is coming together in his final season.
“It means the world to me to succeed as an individual and have my team win as well,” Lensing said. “I have had a few injuries in my career at Bradley, but learning to adapt my golf game in accordance with my body has been a truly rewarding challenge.”
“He’s had the potential to be a solid player all these years but to battle through all the injuries he’s had and to stick it out for a fifth year, I was so excited for him to come away with the individual title,” Roche said. “Resolve is a great word for him. He works hard on his swing and he’s a great student. He’s a good young man and a great representation of what we have.”
Although he entered as an individual, sophomore Miguel Montelongo tied for seventh at 218 earning him his first top-10 finish at Bradley.
“Our depth is there and it allows for competition to be created in practice that pushes everybody and people can’t just sit back and just relax … because you have guys like Miguel,” Roche said. “This is the first time I’ve really seen him just play freely, use his ability, and I was really happy for him.”
Elsewhere in Indiana, junior Megan Medinger led the way with her first career top-ten finish, shooting a five-over-par 221 to finish fifth. The women finished fourth of 16 teams at the Ball State Cardinal Classic in Yorktown.
“She’s really progressed a lot and is probably getting a little more comfortable with how to practice and how to get better every day and the scores are starting to show it,” Roche said. “She’s played really solid and has been a nice addition to the roster.”
Senior Frankie Saban finished second on the team, securing her 15th consecutive top-3 team finish at 9-over 225. Saban was followed by senior Brooke Thompson (231), sophomore Maddie Hawkins (233) and junior Taylor Ledwein (234).
“[Saban] is one of the hardest workers on our team, and she goes about it by putting a lot of thought into which areas she needs to work on,” Roche said. “We have a small window when you consider you’re competing in a five-week period, so you have to take advantage of that time and she does it the best.”
The women will take a week off before playing at the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Missouri from Oct. 1-3. The men will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday at the Derek Dolenc Invitational in Madison, Illinois.
