LEE COUNTY, Fla. — For the first time in school history, the FGCU men's golf team is making its first NCAA tournament appearance.
The Eagles have been patient, but this year they knew something was different.
“One of the goals when I got here was to, you know, do our best to get to this point and compete for a national championship and play in the national tournament," said head coach Andrew Danna. "It’s taken a few years, but, it’s awesome to see these guys work so hard and see all the success they’re having on the golf course.”
This is a huge step for the program.
And the Eagles, don’t believe they need to prove anything else.
“I think just kind of going into it with no expectations really," said senior Brady Madsen. "Don’t really put any pressure on us. I think if we go into it, kind of free fall it, we’re definitely going to play better. Going into it with no expectations is only going to help us out. “
Out here, it’s the calm before the storm.
But these seniors understand, this milestone, will put them on the map.
“It’s really great for our program," said senior Jon Hopkins. "It’s not just great for our program it’s great for ourselves. It really expands the opportunities that we’ve been able to get for our individuals and for everyone else in the program.”
Everyone believed this was the outcome that could be possible.
And for these underclassmen, it makes them wonder, what the future will hold.
“Coming here before I was a freshman, we were ranked 250," said Sophomore Austin Cherichella. "And now that we’re 51 it’s pretty exciting. We get to do some pretty cool things. Now we get to show the country who we are and how good we are. And it’s a lot of fun.”
