ST. PETERSBURG — Eckerd College had a historical season on the links with the women’s golf team making its first National Collegiate Athletic Association regional appearance and Reggie Fear from the men’s team advancing to regionals.
“It’s been really exciting to be part of both teams,” said David Woodrum, a third-year head coach for both squads. “They set goals of being nationally ranked and they did that very quickly.”
Noting the significance of how those achievements impact recruiting efforts at the Division II school in St. Petersburg, the coach said, “It’s a huge booster, for sure. We’re a really young team and we’ve got a lot of good things to look forward to in years to come.”
As for this season, the women’s team was ranked in the top 25 for the first time ever, ascending as high as No. 19 in the polls and finishing at No. 22.
Aubane Statiotis, who carried a 73.8 average, was one of five golfers in the country to be named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-Freshman team. She placed seventh at regionals in Cleveland, Tenn. Statiotis and teammate Melissa Ball both spent time inside the top 30 nationally.
“She’s got all the talent in the world,” Woodrum said of Statiotis, an All-SSC second-teamer who last summer was ranked 303rd in the world. “And she’s got some talented players behind her.”
That includes Sophie Foulds, Camille Padieu and Tallulah Brooks-Williams, who also competed at regionals.
As for Fear, he is an NCAA Division II PING First Team All-American, First Team All-Sunshine State Conference and PING All-Region selection. As the conference runner-up, he ended the season as the nation’s No. 9-ranked golfer and qualified for his second straight NCAA regional appearance.
The sophomore, who played at regionals in Valdosta, Georgia, posted a 69.9 regular-season average with one tournament victory and five top-three finishes. He was a two-time SSC Men’s Golfer of the Week award.
“He’s a very seasoned player,” Woodrum said of Fear, who last season made the All-SSC second team. “He’s a great leader; just a very talented player.”
As a former college golfer, Woodrum is well aware of what it takes to be successful on the links. He was part of two national championship teams (2016 and 2020) at Bluefield State, a Division II school in West Virginia.
“There’s no secret to success,” he said. “Hard work beats talent every day. It’s just consistency. All of our players are buying into where we’re at.”