PRESQUE ISLE – The Owl golf team wrapped up its season Oct. 11 at the Sunrise Conference Tournament held at JaTo Highlands in Lincoln. The team placed first in the competition.
UMPI put together a solid season under first-year coach Dan Hotham, who was named coach of the year in the conference. He said the future looks promising for the Owls.
“I am in the process of working with UM-Machias, Maine Maritime Academy and UM-Augusta to develop a schedule whereby each school will host an invitational during the season. We will have ours like always and UMM, MMA and UMA will play in it and when the other schools host theirs, we will all travel to play it as well,” Hotham said. “This will give the players a solid four-match competitive schedule which we will supplement with the Colby tournaments, the Maine Intercollegiate and Sunrise Conference championships.”
In addition to tweaking the schedule, Hotham said he has also done some recruiting to bring in some personnel next fall to add to his current roster, which includes two seniors and three freshmen.
Mike Balmer of New Smyrna Beach, Fla. and Ellis Pelletier of Caribou put together strong seasons. Balmer shot a 79 in Monday’s Sunrise Conference tourney to lead the Owls, who posted a low score of 344 to beat UM-Machias by 151 strokes.
“Mike is a very good player and has been the No. 1 player on the team since the first match,” Hotham said of the freshman, noting Balmer also won medalist honors at the UMPI Invitational held Sept. 10 and in the home match against MMA Sept. 21. “He is a solid player and student upon which to build UMPI’s golf program.”
The coach is also satisfied with the performance of Pelletier, another talented first-year golfer.
“Ellis has a solid game and is a fiery competitor. He does not display any glaring weakness in any facet of the game but still could improve in all areas,” his coach said. “He has worked his way from the No. 5 spot to the No. 2 spot mostly because he has settled down, is not so nervous and is playing his game. He has posted solid scores at the Maine Intercollegiate, Colby Invitational and against MMA. I am glad to have him back next year.”
“This has been a fine group of young men who are respectful, responsible and students of the game,” he said.
“I look forward to growing the UMPI program and creating a tradition of being competitive as well as graduating outstanding young men and women.”
