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2008 Season Preview

[ Jeff Nieman ] Like many college golf coaches, Ohio Wesleyan head coach Jon Whithaus will face some tough decisions when he selects his lineup for each tournament this season. But Whithaus is in a position that many coaches would envy, given the abundance of talent on his 2008 Battling Bishop squad.

Returning for the Bishops in 2008 are 3 All-Americans, 2 additional first-team all-conference selections, and 4 more players who have finished in the top 5 of a tournament.

The 12 returning lettermen comprise the deepest squad Whithaus has had during his 11 seasons at Ohio Wesleyan, and he thinks that not only could they improve on their third-place national finish of 2007, but win Ohio Wesleyan's first-ever national team championship in golf.

"I am definitely expecting us to improve on last year's finish (at the NCAA Division III tournament)," Whithaus said. "Our returning players have elevated their game a lot, and our two freshmen are very talented and could make an impact."

Leading the returnees is junior Jeff Nieman (Maineville/Cincinnati Moeller), a 2-time All-America selection. Nieman finished fourth at the 2007 NCAA Division III championship tournament to earn first-team All-America honors and was second in the NCAC tournament last spring. He led the Bishops with a 75.24 average during the 2006-07 season and improved that to 73.50 during fall 2007 action while leading or sharing the team lead 4 of the team's 5 tournaments.

[ Andy Schillig ] Junior Andy Schillig (Pataskala/Licking Heights) won second-team All-America honors in 2007, finishing 10th at the NCAA Division III tournament. He tied for eighth place at the NCAC tournament to receive honorable mention all-conference honors. Schillig averaged 76.81 strokes per round to rank third on the team in 2006-07 and sliced that average to 74.10 during fall 2007 competition.

Junior Kyle Martin (Dublin/Wellington) was a second-team All-America selection in 2006 and won medalist honors at the 2007 NCAC tournament. He was a first-team all-conference pick after leading NCAC golfers in the four conference events during the 2006-07 season. Martin ranked second on the team with a 75.92 average during 2006-07.

Sophomore Jesse Chiero (Westerville/South) played his way into the Bishop lineup and went on to win first-team All-NCAC honors by ranking third in the NCAC individual standings. He finished fourth in the conference tournament and was named Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year. Chiero posted a 77.08 average during the 2006-07 season and improved that to 74.50 during fall 2007 play.

Senior Rory Hotaling (Yellow Springs), a first-team All-NCAC selection in 2006, led the Bishops at the 2006 NCAC championship tournament, missing medalist honors by one shot. He averaged 78.57 strokes per round during 2006-07 and reduced that to 75.88 per round last fall.

[ Jordan Benner ] Sophomore Jordan Benner (Beavercreek) won medalist honors at the 2007 OWU Fall Invitational, and that performance put him in the Bishop lineup for the rest of the fall schedule. Benner took advantage of the opportunity, sharing the team lead in one other tournament and averaging 73.80 shots per round.

Sophomore Tommy Harman (Perrysburg) played in all 5 of the Bishops' tournaments last fall and averaged 74.70 to rank fifth on the team. He led the Bishops at Allegheny, finishing in a second-place tie in the individual standings.

Junior Adam Claytor (Columbus/Wellington) averaged 75.63 strokes per round last fall, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at Denison. Sophomore Michael Sarap (Cambridge) also has an individual top-5 tournament finish on his resume, tying for third place at Muskingum last spring.

Senior Jeff Tynik (Glen Rock, N.J./Don Bosco) and sophomores Scott Hassee (Norwalk) and Peter Joyce (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) are returning lettermen who also will be in the running to crack the Ohio Wesleyan lineup.

Joining the Bishop squad this season are freshmen Thomas Fox (Galion) and Scott Morris (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East). Fox was a first-team all-district selection in high school, while Morris posted his league's best scoring average last year.

Ohio Wesleyan opens the spring season at the Hunter Intercollegiate tournament in Savannah, Ga., then returns south later in the spring to compete in the Camp Lejeune (N.C.) Intercollegiate. Ohio Wesleyan hosts its annual OWU/Strimer Memorial Invitational, then visits Wooster to compete in the Nye Intercollegiate before returning to Rochester, N.Y., to compete in the Fred B. Kravetz Invitational. The Bishops wrap up the regular season with the NCAC championship on May 3-4.

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