NAIT’s golf program continues to build off its monumental inaugural campaign, capping off the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) regular season with two impressive finishes.
The women’s and men’s teams enter the upcoming ACAC Championships second and third in their divisions—an improvement from the women’s team’s fourth-place finish in 2023.
So far, the program’s sophomore season has gone according to plan for one of NAIT’s newest sports teams. Before the season, second-year Head Coach Tyler Leicht said his teams were “hungry to start chasing for that silver and gold.” The Ooks seem poised to do just that as the championships roll around.
The men took home bronze at last year’s ACAC Championships and earned a spot at nationals. The club finished tenth out of eleven teams, and Mason Gorski and Blake Feth were the only ones to place in the top 50, finishing 18th and 41st.
Three golfers—Mason Gorski, Cayden Clark, and Blake Feth—have finished in the top 12 at least once for NAIT this season. The trio will be expected to push the men’s team to another podium finish and qualify again for nationals.
On the women’s side, new recruit Ella Dollan has finished second and third in both regionals. Dollan’s success continues NAIT’s legacy of impressive female golfers; last year, Michaella Kibblewhite led the way for the Ooks female golfers, finishing fifth and qualifying for nationals.
The ACAC women’s team at nationals is represented by the top six individual golfers in the standings. Kibblewhite represented the Ooks last season, and now Leicht hopes Dollan can do the same.
“She [Dollan] was tied for second place after the first regional, and then after the second regional, she finished third … she’s gotten better and better, and I think she’s only going to continue to grow,” Leicht explained.
“I think her goal is to have a podium finish.”
The Ooks will travel to Alberta Springs Golf Course for the championship round starting September 22 and ending September 24. The men’s team can qualify for nationals with a bronze medal finish or better, and the women’s team can qualify with a top-six finish in the individual standings.
The team is in an excellent position to repeat last year’s success. And ahead of championship weekend, Leicht is confident about his team’s chances at another strong performance to send them to nationals for a second straight season.
“I think our team has all the tools and the right people in place to achieve that goal … on the men’s team side, they go out, and they’re able to let different players carry the weight on any given day. And that’s what we’re looking to have from our team.”
“So if we’re able to do that for three days … I think we’re going to be in a good spot to be standing on the podium and punch our ticket to nationals.”
