The Arkansas Tech University men’s golf team became national champions last season. It was the first time in the university’s history to have a national champion in any sport at the Division II level.
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to win such an important title for your organization?
Trevor Brunson, a senior at Arkansas Tech, has played for the golf team for four years now. Brunson remembers what it meant to him to secure the national title last season.
“I grew up loving sports, and kind of always dreamed of winning a national title. So, to be part of a team and get to be there to experience that meant a lot to me.”
Brunson said this championship win was on the minds of the players before the season began.
“We knew we had the team; we knew everyone was good enough, and we knew we could be the best in the country.”
Luke Calcatera, head golf coach, had a lot to do with this win, Brunson said.
“Coach Luke did a great job of getting us prepared. We all stayed focused and hungry, and we were able to get the job done.”
Calcatera is an Arkansas Tech alumnus and has been coaching the golf team for three seasons now.
“You build a relationship with these players, and you see teams and student athletes that you are so close with that have come so close over the past three seasons to achieving this goal and have just come a little short. So, to finally win one was just an incredible moment, and a moment that I know all of our alumni are celebrating,” he said.
ad COVID-19 played a role in this national title victory as well.
“We ha player that decided to come back and use his fifth year that he got from COVID, just to try and achieve this goal,” Calcatera said.
“The team definitely had one goal, and everything just came together. They were just able to capture that moment and achieve what they set out for.”
The 2021 fall season has just started, and the Arkansas Tech golf team is standing at 2-0 on the season so far. So, what is the next step for the team? Have the goals changed?
“We’re just trying to stay hungry. It’s not often you get the chance to get back-to-back national titles. Even though we just did it last year, we still want to do it again,” Brunson said.
Calcatera said that the team feels just as strong and confident as they did last year.
“We do, we have four of five of last year’s team that was competing at the national championship returning, and we’ve added some great players to the team this year. I feel like at this moment they have a great mentality and a really good work ethic, and I think they share the same goal as last year’s team.”
