For the first time in the long history of
the University of North Alabama golf
program, the Lions will enter their 2010
Spring campaign as the defending Gulf South
Conference champions.
UNA has competed in the NCAA South Regional
11 times in the last 14 years and has
advanced to the Division II National
Championships in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Lions
have averaged better than 60 wins per Spring
season for each of the last ten years and
have taken a position of national prominence
in Division II. But until last spring, the
Lions had never claimed a GSC golf
championship.
Now, entering the 2010 campaign, UNA finds
itself as the defending conference and
regional champion, and with a veteran team
returning.
Another significant change is that for the
first time since 1988, the Lions will not be
under the direction of Billy Gamble as head
coach. Gamble led UNA to nine Division II
National Tournaments from 1989-2009 but
retired in the fall. Former UNA All-American
Stuart Clark has stepped in and led the
Lions to an impressive showing in the fall.
The Lions have six returnees from last
year’s squad, led by senior All-American
Brett Munson of Louisville, Ky., and
sophomore Jake Greer of Birmingham, Ala.,
who won the Phil Mickelson Award as the top
freshman golfer in the NCAA Division II.
UNA was 99-28-1 last spring and won four
tournaments, including the GSC and
South/Southeast Super Regional crowns. The
Lions then roared through the fall with a
60-6 record that included two more
tournament crowns. Munson won three medalist
honors in the five events.
Also back are senior Wes Coleman of Athens,
Ala., senior Alex Hirai of Sao Paulo,
Brazil, sophomore J.P. Taylor of Prattville,
Ala., and sophomore Graham Byrom of
Huntsville, Ala. Nick Sparks of Belmont,
Miss., was redshirted at UNA last season and
is back as well. Sophomore Ty Chandler will
be redshirted this spring.
The six newcomers to the Lion squad are
senior Jace Windom of Gainesville, Ga.,
junior Andrew Freeman of Jasper, Ala.,
sophomore Tyer Ekenberg of Apple Valley,
Minn., and freshmen Ricky Stimets of
Worcester, Mass., Spencer Pace of Florence,
Ala., Nico Irrgang of Bavaria, Germany.
North Alabama opens its 2010 Spring schedule
at the Grover Page Classic hosted by the
University of Tennessee-Martin, on February
28.
The Lions will then play at the Southeastern
Collegiate on March 14-16 and the Bobcat
Invitational on March 21-23 before hosting
the UNA Spring Classic at the Robert Trent
Jones Golf Trail of the Shoals on March
29-30. The Lions will play at The Nature
Classic in Heber Springs, Ark., before
putting their Gulf South Conference crown on
the line on April 18-20 in Hot Springs, Ark.
