SLIAC Golf: At the Turn
Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a closer look at the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference spring sports history. We will look at the sports by each decade, examining the 30 years of SLIAC history, and culminating with a send-off for SLIAC seniors. This week we will look at SLIAC golf and how it has grown through the years to point of adding a women's championship in 2017. Today we head into the 2000s of SLIAC golf.
Maryville University would dominate the beginning and end of the new century, winning a total of four titles in the 10-year span. After ending the 90s with their first team title the Saints made it a three-peat by winning again in 2000 and 2001 with John Jones winning the 2000 individual title. They added two more titles, in 2007 and 2009 with Nick Profancik breezing to three consecutive SLIAC individual championships. The Saints became the first SLIAC program to appear at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf National Championship, doing so in 2001; and would make a total of three trips in the decade.
Fontbonne University, which had won the first two SLIAC titles, ended its championship drought of nine years by winning the title in 2002 behind head coach Lance Thornhill and SLIAC Player of the Year Barry Harbison. The Griffins tacked on two more titles (2004 and 2006) with two more Griffins winning individual championships (Kyle King and Rich Faeth).
The 2000s also saw the emergence of new SLIAC power, Webster University. Head Coach Tom Hart led the Gorloks to their first SLIAC team championship in 2003. Two years later, under first-year head coach Andrew Belsky, the Gorloks added another title with Scott Hargis also winning a SLIAC individual title. He was just the second Gorlok to win the title, following Dax Garrison in 2004. The Gorloks would add one more SLIAC title, in 2008, before the decade was over; advancing to the NCAA Division III nationals that same season.
Derek James, of MacMurray College, and John Kohnen, of Blackburn College, would add their names to the list of SLIAC individual champions. Eureka College, who joined the SLIAC in 2006, competed in its first SLIAC Championship in 2007 and two years later would see Red Devil Narish Punjabi take home the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year award.
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