Brian Peccie, ‘20, started the new golf season just how he finished last season, by winning.

Fresh off winning the NCAA Division III individual title last May, Peccie won his second consecutive tournament at the NCAA Division III Fall Preview held at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. on Sept. 17 and 18. The team tied for third out of 18 teams.

Peccie, though, is focused more on team goals rather than individual ones. “The individual win at last year’s National Championship was great, but the second-place finish as a team left a sour taste in my mouth,” Peccie said.

The team will have the opportunity to take home the championship later this spring.

Ranked fifth in a preseason poll, the boys team only lost one starter and adds John Schindler, ‘22, who already has made his presence felt. In the most recent tournament, Schindler shot 11 over in three rounds, placing him second on the team and 28th out of 90 golfers.

“I struggled to find my game at first but luckily figured it out,” Schindler said. “I’m looking forward to a good season.”

The team’s head coach, Pete Gyscek, is excited for the year as well.

“Losing only one player from last year’s starting lineup gives us a wealth of experience. This is a new year, and last season is in the books,” he said. “We are really good at moving forward and treating each event as a championship.”

Aside from Peccie, the team is loaded with depth and experience. Boyd Peete, ‘20, and Evans Copeland, ‘21, followed right behind with Schindler and shot 12 over, finishing in a tie for 35th. Sean Puleo, ‘20, wasn’t far behind and shot 15 over.

As a first year, Schindler had high praise for his new teammates.

“The guys have been super welcoming and always give their complete effort on the course and off,” Schindler said.

Peccie concluded, “I know if I go to each tournament now expecting to win, that attitude will become infectious and will hopefully inspire my teammates to complete the unfinished business we left out there last spring.”

Meanwhile, on the women’s side, the team found similar success in the MCC Intercollegiate hosted by Huntingdon College at the Montgomery Country Club on Sept. 15 and 16. The women finished second out of eight teams and set a school record for a 36-hole event by shooting 305 on back-to-back days. Laurie Jones, ’21, and Griffin Foultz, ’20, had strong showings, tying for sixth and 11th respectively.

Foultz, this year’s captain, received high praise from Coach Gyscek. “She spent two seasons with our last captains and has a keen sense of how to lead and challenge her teammates,” Gyscek said. “We are in good hands.”

The women may be talented but they lack depth, with just five players on the team. They lost three seniors and picked up only one freshman. But Gyscek mentioned that they “are small by plan.”

Both teams will continue to play tournaments this fall, as they prepare for the spring season and for a potential run at the national championship.