RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The fall season allowed The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s golf team a chance to grow and learn on different levels.
With a very young squad, the Vaqueros wanted to make sure to use the fall season to get their feet wet while building that team chemistry that has played an important part in the program’s success the last couple of years.
“The fall was a time for the team to gel,” UTRGV Head Coach Philip Tate said. “It also provided us some valuable experience and allowed us to learn what we need to work on for the spring. It was a productive fall season for sure.”
With the graduation of Luca Portelli, Alex Summers, and Euan Gil, there were opportunities this fall season for multiple members of the squad to get some experience in the lineup.
Leonardo Novella and Rhaasrikanesh Kanavathi were the only two Vaqueros returning from the spring that competed in a tournament with senior Tennoshin Ogawa the only other on the roster with tournament experience.
The fall allowed Lars Van Der Vight, Juan Luis de Bethencourt Duque, Sebstian Lundberg, and Taj Sutherland to make their collegiate debuts and get a taste of what college golf is really about.
“We learned a lot this fall,” Tate said. “Some of these guys learned what it is to compete at the college level for the first time. We learned how to play as a team and how to work for each other.”
The Vaqueros had just four tournaments in the fall and with each one, one could see the progress they were making.
After opening the season with 13th and 14th place finishes at the Lone Star Invitational and the Trinity Forest Invitational, the Vaqueros posted an 11th place finish at the Bentwater Intercollegiate and then closed out the season with a third place finish at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate.
“We played well there because we got up to speed,” Tate said. “We have a talented crew that needed experience and some time to come back from some long layoffs. We put our best foot forward in the final tournament of the fall.”
Novella led the way for the Vaqueros at the Herb Wimberly as he finished tied for ninth place with a three-round score of 216. Kanavathi finished one shot behind Novella with a three-round score of 217 as he finished tied for 11th with Bethencourt.
Novella led the team with a 74.75 stroke average this fall while continuing to grow and learn after just one semester of college golf under his belt. Bethencourt, who made his collegiate debut this fall, finished with a 75.83 stroke average showing he is up to the task of being a constant in the lineup.
The fall was a learning experience all the way around for the Vaqueros. The lessons learned will not only be beneficial for the spring but well beyond that too.
“Our biggest take away this fall is that we can’t take anything for granted,” Tate said. “The fields and courses will be difficult, and we have to be up to the task. Now everyone knows what to expect when we get back out there.”
The fall season was an important one for the Vaqueros. They hope that what they experienced will lead to great things this spring.
“The fall was a great experience for us,” Tate said. “We grew immensely from it.”
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