Cape Region athletes moving up to the college ranks

Mid-August sees hundreds of the Cape Region’s newest college students make the trek to their chosen institution of higher learning.

For a large contingent of local freshmen this is also the beginning of their collegiate athletic adventure, often at the elite level.

Sawyer Brockstedt is a good example.

The Rehoboth Beach resident and longtime junior golf standout moved to South Bend, Ind., this week to begin her freshman year at Notre Dame as a scholarship player on the Fighting Irish women’s golf team.

“We get there two days before normal students,” she said recently. “We have welcome week the 22nd through the 24th and orientation. Classes start the 25th and practice starts the 25th. Qualifying starts the 29th and we’re kind of right into it. There are eight players, and five start the competitions. We qualify for every tournament unless they’re back-to-back, like if the tournaments are one week after the other.”

Preseason preparation began weeks ago. Brockstedt said, “They emailed me a summer conditioning program. I pretty much work out every day. There was also a summer lifting program, and I did all that. While we’re in season we have two days a week for training. I plan to set up other days. In the off-season it goes to three or four days a week.”

In some respects, and unlike other Division 1 programs, Notre Dame treats its student-athletes as regular students, integrating them into the college routine. For example, there are no separate athletes’ dorms, and living in the dorms is required for first three years. “You can go off-campus after that,” she said. “My roommate is from Texas and we’re in a double. She is not an athlete.”

Greek life is nonexistent. “They have brother-sister dorms, where the two buildings are next to each other,” Brockstedt said. “There are lots of events with your dorm brothers and sisters.”

The golf team also receives season tickets to Notre Dame football. “I’m very excited. We only miss one home game.”

College golf has two seasons, fall and spring, with an off-season in the middle. The fall season begins soon after classes start.

“Our first tournament is at Ann Arbor, Mich., at [the University of] Michigan’s Course Sept. 6, 7, and 8,” she said. “We have six tournaments this fall. Mostly they’re 36 holes [one day] and then 18 holes [the next]. There’s a practice round the day before. Some of them are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and some are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Five [golfers] travel and play for the team. You can bring one more to play as an individual. It depends on if the tournament is allowing the teams to bring more.”

Brockstedt must also make sure her class schedule doesn’t conflict with practice. “I can take classes between 8:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.,” she said. “Our practices begin at 2:30. I got into the business school, and I will major in finance with a minor in political science. We also have to take a philosophy course, and one in writing and rhetoric.”

We discussed her high school golf career, which included several second-place finishes in the DIAA individual championships and as part of Sussex Academy’s very first team championship.

“I definitely think it’s worth it,” she said. “My dad and I talked about that. Getting ready for the summer [tournaments], it does a really good job, because otherwise when it’s March and it’s 40 degrees out, I probably wouldn’t be going out to practice. In high school golf, you’re going out there to practice no matter what. That really helped. Competitive repetition and rounds, you’re playing for a score, and that’s really helpful.”

I asked Brockstedt if she had any ideas of convincing Notre Dame to bring its women’s golf team to the Cape Region to compete in the fall Lady Blue Hens Invitational at Rehoboth Beach Country Club. She laughed and said, “I’m working on that. That’s my goal for my sophomore year. It would be fun!”

Local club competition results

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Holers played a 3 Clubs and a Putter team game Aug. 14, in two flights. Darci Whitehead, Susan Julbe, Barbara Morton, and Jennifer Walker won the first flight. Christine Emery, Kim Kavchok, Deborah Chase, and Deborah Hinderer finished second. Sherry Schaffer, Allison Sapka, Donna Romer, and Annette Stellhorn won the second flight. Faye Slatcher, Mary McLoughlin, Farah Englert, and Holly Clark took second.

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-Holers played a Baker’s Dozen game Aug. 14, in flights, gross and net, and a separate guest grouping. In the gross category, Mitzi Reitnouer won the first flight, Sally McGovern the second, and Camille Nichols the third. Lesley Corydon won first net in the first flight, with Jenifer Flinchbaugh in second and Lisa Schofield in third. Hope Adams won first net for the second flight, followed by Jeannine Doane in second and Tina-Marie Brown in third. Anne Farley won first net in the third flight, with Margaret Moore in second and Katie Heintz in third. Among the guest players, Dena Caradimitropoulo won first place, with Mary Beth Caddigan in second and Jill Snyder in third.