Men's Golf Nabs Gigantic Victory

Winning when expected to is a good feeling. Winning when you are not expected to is even a better feeling. But winning when you didn't think you had a chance, when not even the biggest optimist would consider a win conceivable, puts you somewhere between ecstasy and speechlessness.

After this weekend, the Harvard men's golf team is in that zone.

In what will go down as one of the biggest upsets in Harvard golf history, the Crimson took first at the 21-team ECAC Championships at Colgate University's Seven Oaks golf course. Harvard shot a collective score of 612 over two days, destroying second-place Central Connecticut, 623, and third-place Skidmore, 625.

"If you had told me that we were going to win before the tournament, I would have though you were crazy," junior Joel Radtke said. "I knew that we were capable of playing well, but I had no idea that we would do this. It was incredible."

"It was not just the best meet of the season, it was the best meet I've ever heard of us ever having," junior Jun Choo said. "It's really almost indescribable."

Coming into the meet, the Crimson was expected to do next to nothing. It had tied for third the week before at the ECAC qualifer on October 4. Because only three teams are selected from each qualifier, the Crimson needed special permission to compete in the ECAC's. In addition, the qualifier it was coming from is considered to be one of the weakest within the ECAC region.

To most, the squad didn't seem to have a one-in-a-million chance.

But on the first day, the team surprised. Radkte shot a 74, senior Jack Wiley shot a 76, senior Luis Sanchez shot a 78 and Hu shot a 79 to give the team a 307 for the day. It was the best score at the tournament.

The other teams were shocked.

"No one could believe it," Radtke said. "They though it was a fluke."

But it wasn't, and the team proved it on Sunday. Radtke shot a 73, Sanchez shot a 74, Wiley shot a 79; and Hu shot a 79 to better the previous day's score by two strokes. The 305 gave the squad an incredible 11-stroke win and ultimate bragging rights in the region.

"This weekend just shows you how much of a mental game golf is," Radtke said. "This game surprised us all, but it wasn't completely out-of-the-blue. Since the second round of the first of the meet, we've just had a great team mental outlook. We've always had the talent, but it's just this season that we're putting it all together."

The Crimson will next be in action Monday at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association championships. Needless to say, it should be more highly esteemed going into the meet.

"I think a few more people should know about us," Choo said.

"It was not just the best meet of the season, it was the best meet I have ever heard of us having." June Choo