Maryville College golf teams show early promise as spring season begins
The Maryville College Men’s and Women’s Golf teams opened their spring seasons with encouraging performances, giving both programs momentum as they began the push toward their respective conference tournaments. Early competitions have offered a glimpse of the teams’ potential, while also highlighting areas of focus as the season progresses.
For the men’s team, the Port City Classic marked the first tournament of the spring and an important early test.
“I was pleased with our first tournament,” Head Coach Mark Paluszak said. “The first tournament in the spring is always tough. We haven’t had the greatest weather to practice, but there are areas we have identified that we need to work on as a team to get better.”
Limited practice opportunities during the winter months often make the first spring event challenging for college golf teams. Even so, Maryville showed flashes of strong play and competitiveness.
Specifically for the men’s team, this time represents a transition for the program, as this semester is the first with Paluszak. So far, he believes the adjustment has been positive.
“I believe the transition has gone well,” he said. “The team understands my philosophies and what it takes to get the results we need.”
Several players stood out during the event, including Jack Porter (‘27), who produced one of the tournament’s most impressive rounds. Porter shot a 1-under-par 70 during the second round and entered the final round in second place.
“The 70 was a special round,” Paluszak said. “He had six birdies and lipped out on two or three others.”
Freshman Pierce Shinavier (‘29), also stood out in his early spring season collegiate appearance.
“Pierce had a nice tournament,” Paluszak said. “He has a ton of potential and I look forward to seeing his progress in the upcoming years.”
As the men’s team prepares for the conference tournament later in the season, practices are focused on refining the scoring aspects of the game, particularly the short game.
“We are really working on our game from 125 yards and in for the conference tournament,” Paluszak explained. “Inside of 125 yards is where you score.”
Improving performance on and around the greens has become their main goal.
“We have been working super hard at our putting and chipping,” Paluszak continued. “One of my goals is for us to be a top 10 putting team in the country. If we can accomplish that, our team average will go down significantly.”
“They are determined to be the best they can be for themselves and their teammates,” Paluszak said.
The MC Women’s Golf team also opened their spring schedule on a positive note with a strong showing in Savannah, Georgia, providing early encouragement after a long break from competitive play. All the players set new collegiate personal records.
“I am very pleased with how we played in Savannah,” Head Coach Jesse Lawley said. “We can see so much improvement already, and we will continue to work to push our progress.”
The tournament served as the team’s first competition since the fall season, making the performance even more meaningful.
“This [progress] is also good to see as the first event in the spring after a long layover from competition golf,” Lawley said.
For the women’s program, preparation for the conference tournament is built on consistent practice and gaining valuable tournament experience.
“This is a continuous process of making sure the girls get quality reps in practice and tourneys,” Lawley explained. “All we do now leads directly to how we perform in April.”
Progress and positive results are goals that can help benchmark the team’s movement in the right direction.
Beyond results on the scorecard, Lawley emphasized the value of the shared experience of improvement and teamwork, highlighting how learning and growing together help the team.
“We are all pushing for the same goal: solid golf. That takes time and effort,” she said.
As the season unfolds, the women’s team is focusing on developing mental toughness and perseverance.
“The biggest thing I want to see is resiliency,” Lawley stated. “I want them to continue to learn to push through the hard tasks at hand.”
Early signs of growth were already evident during the opening tournament.
“Honestly, I truly saw huge strides from each girl at this tournament,” Lawley said. “It shows [that] each of them are working to push forward and are putting in the time to make us better as a unit. I couldn’t have been more pleased.”
With both teams showing determination and a commitment to improvement, Maryville golf is positioned to build momentum throughout the spring as conference competition approaches. Be on the lookout for tournament results from both teams on their journey to making an impact in the SAA conference over the next few months.
Maryville Men’s golf team at the Post City Classic, their first tournament for the spring season. Players (left to right): Jack Porter, Justin Sweeney, Jack Jacobsen, Will Beyer, and Pierce Shinavier. (Photo courtesy of Coach Mark Paluszak.)
Maryville Women’s golf team at the Savannah Invitational hosted by Berry College, where each player set a new collegiate personal record. Players (left to right): Charlsie McElhaney, Emma Grace Clonan, and Mallory Higgins. (Photo courtesy of Coach Jesse Lawley.)