The Sonoma State men’s golf team celebrated as if they had “just won the lottery” after a strong finish to win the NCAA regional preview title this past Tuesday. The celebration was great. But after the first two days of the three-day event, it didn’t appear as though Seawolves would have much to celebrate. Then, after a “surprising” first two rounds, the Seawolves came storming back from behind.

Going into the third round, the Seawolves found themselves in the middle of the pack. Not the start that they anticipated going in. Head Coach Val Verhunce, when asked about the slow start said, “I was a little surprised how we came out flat the first two rounds.”

Verhunce-coached teams are known for their ability to rebound after less-than-ideal starts. In order to finish where they wanted to, the seawolves had to do just that. Verhunce prefers to focus on the positives when down. He shared some of his thoughts about his message to the team, “The message is usually fairly consistent. Ultimately can you focus on what you did well today and not really what you did poorly, and let’s just apply all those things that we did well to the next round.” This thought process would end up paying dividends in round 3.

The Seawolves turned things around in round 3 of the competition and would go on to finish first. The results were good, but this is not something that happened by accident. Verhunce expressed that the preparation for a big event such as this one begins on day one of practice. Verhunce detailed the preparation, “It’s about managing expectations and managing time and making sure that everyone was in a good place going into the event.”

Another factor that the Seawolves had to face was the weather, particularly on day one of the competition. The team made a concerted effort not to let the weather impact their performance. Verhunce talked to his team about it, saying, “Let’s not let the weather dictate our emotions and our mental game. I think it kind of served us well.”

Verhunce believes that his players were able to come from behind due to both their physical and mental skills. None more than Sophomore Colin Huang, who would go on to win CCAA Golfer of the week. The sophomore was making his first start and made his presence felt. Huang shot a 10-under-par 206, finished t-2nd individually and led the team with six birdies in the all-important third round. 

When asked about Huang, Verhunce gushed, saying, “I was not surprised at all. He’s mature beyond his years as far as age and even in his role as a golfer. He has a unique perspective that I don’t see too often, especially in a Freshman. Sometimes I don’t even see it in a senior.”

The team was understandably elated after the day three comeback. Verhunce detailed his perspective of the team after the victory, “After the tournament, they were crazy. It was like they had just won the lottery type of thing; I mean, it was fun to see the energy, the love, and support for each other. It was exciting to be around, and they deserved to be excited. They did something they knew that they could and to be able to reach that pinnacle and capture that title like they did.”