Returning to a scenic and challenging stage
The 12 members of 91短视频鈥檚 disc golf team were among more than 700 students from 80 universities across the country who traveled to Marion, North Carolina, for the 2023 College Disc Golf National Championship featuring four days (April 5-8) of team and individual competition at North Cove Leisure Club.
It鈥檚 the third time 91短视频 has participated in the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)-sanctioned annual tournament鈥攁nd the third time since 2021 that nationals have been held at North Cove, an outdoor recreation and events center about an hour from Asheville that boasts three championship 18-hole disc golf courses of varying lengths, elevations, and difficulties.
Nestled between the Linville Gorge and Pisgah National Forest, the courses play back and forth across the Catawba River and feature stunning mountain views; open meadows; wooded holes with trees; and impressive boulder, rock and stone formations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful, and the fact that the river comes into play on a lot of holes is both scenic and adds challenge,鈥� said coach Trevor Oyer 鈥�19.
Building a program
Oyer got 鈥渙bsessed with disc golf鈥� as a sophomore at Hesston College where he even helped to design and install a 9-hole disc golf course. Oyer transferred to 91短视频 as a junior and a year later decided he wanted to play college disc golf. He gained the support of former 91短视频 Athletics Director Dave King and in the fall of 2019 started a disc golf team that included his brother Jared Oyer 鈥�21 and Silas Driver 鈥�19, both of whom began playing disc golf at Hesston, and Cameron Byer 鈥�21.
The four 91短视频 disc golfers competed in their first tournament that November at Liberty University where they missed a bid to nationals by one stroke. They went on to earn a bid in February 2020 at their own tournament, the 91短视频 Royals Qualifier, held at Westover Park Disc Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
COVID canceled the 2020 National Championship, but it did extend Oyer鈥檚 eligibility, allowing him to compete during the 2020-2021 disc golf season and at the 2021 National Championship; the PDGA typically awards bids to nationals through rankings, invitations, and qualifying events throughout a season, but decided any team who registered on time could play at North Cove in 2021.
91短视频 sent six men to nationals that year, including Oyer, his brother, and Byer. 鈥淚t was a great time,鈥� shared Oyer, who placed 12th out of 42 doubles teams in the DII division along with Byer; the doubles team of Jared Oyer and Zach Bauman 鈥�23 finished 22nd in the DII division. (DI, DII and DIII disc golf divisions correlate to top, middle and bottom, respectively, and not NCAA Divisions I, II and III.)
Oyer鈥檚 eligibility expired after the 2021 National Championship, and he transitioned from player to head coach of 91短视频鈥檚 disc golf team for the 2021-2022 season because he wanted 鈥渢o help continue to grow the program.鈥� 鈥淚 knew how helpful it could be to have someone assist behind the scenes with logistics鈥� and coach players.鈥� Bauman was one of eight players (two teams of four) representing 91短视频 at North Cove for the 2022 National Championship. His team of Joe Seitz 鈥�22, Sean McClary and Noah Swartzentruber encountered 鈥渨eather in the 鈥�70s, rain and then snow鈥� to tie for 18th out of 71 teams in the DII division, said Bauman.
Rising to the occasion
While it didn鈥檛 snow at nationals in 2023, disc golfers did have to contend with three days of cold, windy and rainy weather. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 slippery, your footing is affected and you can鈥檛 throw as hard because you don鈥檛 have as good of a grip on your disc,鈥� revealed Bauman. 鈥淵ou have to tone it down and go for simpler shots.鈥� Bauman says he has learned to travel with towels and an umbrella when coming to North Cove.
91短视频 performed well at Liberty University鈥檚 Regional Qualifier in March, picking up a bid and punching its ticket to the 2023 National Championship. 鈥淚 look forward to nationals all year,鈥� said McClary. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to see all the people we compete against during the season in one place as well as see teams we play less often or may not play against at all,鈥� added Swartzentruber. According to Bauman, 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to spread where you鈥檙e from, talk to people, and play with hundreds of other college students who are passionate about disc golf.鈥�
McClary, Swartzentruber and Bauman鈥攁long with Ethan Spicher 鈥�23鈥攎ade up the Men鈥檚 A Team, one of the two men鈥檚 teams (two teams of four) and two women鈥檚 teams (two teams of two) from 91短视频 to compete at nationals. The Men鈥檚 A Team placed 4th out of 51 DII teams while Bauman and McClary finished 13th and 22nd, respectively, out of 201 individual DII competitors. The Men鈥檚 B Team of Seth Andreas 鈥�23, Will Bartel, Aaron Moyer and Caleb Oesch 鈥�23 placed 21st out of 42 teams in the DIII division. Out of 28 teams, the Women鈥檚 A Team of Rebekah Amstutz 鈥�23 and Lindsey White 鈥�23 placed 9th while the Women鈥檚 B Team of Kara Kornhaus and Maddie LaFlamme finished 26th; White placed 13th in the nation (out of 59 individual competitors).
鈥淚t鈥檚 surprising,鈥� White said of her results. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only the second tournament I鈥檝e played in.鈥� Amstutz, her doubles partner, had reached out to Oyer over the summer about starting a women鈥檚 team and then 鈥渞oped in鈥� her friends Kornhaus and LaFlamme to join. The three women played in one fall tournament. White joined the team in January鈥攖hree months prior to the 91短视频 women鈥檚 team competing for the first time on college disc golf鈥檚 national stage.
鈥淟indsay played smart and strategically,鈥� said Oyer of White鈥檚 individual round. 鈥淔or Holes 1-17, she only had single bogeys, pars or birdies.鈥� Disc golf is scored like golf where players can earn an eagle, birdie, par, bogey, double bogey, or triple bogey; they must keep each shot inbounds鈥攁voiding water and trees鈥攐r incur a penalty stroke. It鈥檚 different from golf in that players aim to throw a disc into a basket each hole in the fewest number of shots possible; they tee off from a tee pad, typically with a driver disc.
In addition to a driver, there are also mid-range and putter discs. Drivers are for longer distances, mid-range for middle distances, and putters for shorter distances. Each disc has a number on it, which represent speed, slide, turn, and fade. Oyer says beginners only need one disc and that college players often carry up to 20 discs in their bag, but rely on those they are most confident in when it comes to crunch time. In addition, as players improve, they may opt to use new discs.
鈥淚 throw three discs,鈥� said White. 鈥淚 have to be intentional about the shot I鈥檓 taking, the disc I鈥檓 throwing, and how I鈥檓 going to throw it.鈥� White generally throws backhand while McClary usually throws forehand. Several other throwing styles exist, including overhand; players often have a preferred style but adjust as needed depending on the shot.
91短视频 disc golfers played one individual round and three team rounds at North Cove. The women鈥檚 team rounds were played as regular doubles; both women teed off at each hole, decided which shot they liked better, and then both threw again on each subsequent shot. The individual women鈥檚 scores were added together and divided by two to come up with a team score for the round. The men鈥檚 team rounds were played as team doubles; two men teed off, decided which shot they liked better, and then the other two men threw. The teams alternated until they finished the hole and also alternated tee-offs. The individual men鈥檚 scores were added together and divided by four to come up with a team score for the round.
The Men鈥檚 B Team, Women鈥檚 A Team, and Women鈥檚 B Team played their individual rounds and two team rounds on River Run, the simplest and shortest of the three courses with mainly par 3 holes, and also played one team round on Boulders, a longer and more challenging course. The Men鈥檚 A Team played its individual round on River Run, one team round on Boulders and two team rounds on The Gorge, the longest and most difficult course.
Appreciating disc golf and one another
鈥淚 just like throwing shots and watching them fly,鈥� said Swartzentruber. 鈥淚 also like meeting and getting to know the people I play with鈥� It helps me relax because I feel like I鈥檓 just playing the game versus competing against other people.鈥� McClary says he likes 鈥渢he sound of a disc flying into the basket from however far away you are鈥� and that 鈥渢he people are amazing.鈥�
The 91短视频 team of 12 also enjoyed getting to know one another better by staying in a house Oyer booked about 10 minutes from North Cove. 鈥淧layers could come and go as needed for their rounds or support and watch other teams. The communal space also allowed us to share meals together and talk in the evenings about the rounds,鈥� said Oyer.
鈥淚 so deeply enjoyed being with the team and getting to know them while working on the mental and physical aspects of my game,鈥� shared White. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that no matter what happens, I just need to keep playing and look ahead.鈥� Amstutz added, 鈥淚 want to keep playing disc golf forever to try to get better.鈥�
This article was published in the聽Spring/Summer 2023 Crossroads magazine.