WARRIORS WIN 7TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Newton, KS – For the seventh time in school history, the Indian Hills Men’s Golf team captured the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men’s Golf National Championship. The Warriors ran away with the 2023 title, winning by 11 strokes with a 25-under 1,127.
Along with the national team title, freshman Jose Miguel Ramirez (Maturin, Venezuela/Alejandro De Humboldt) won the 2023 NJCAA DI Men’s Golf individual national championship with a 12-under 276, winning the title by two strokes. Ramirez becomes the fifth individual national champion in school history and first since Rick Sanders in 2018. The Warriors captured the individual and team title in the same season for the first time in school history and become just the fifth program since 2001 to accomplish the feat.
The Warriors captured its seventh national team title, and sixth at the NJCAA DI level after leading wire-to-wire throughout the duration of the tournament. Indian Hills posted its best mark of the tournament in the opening round with a 10-under 278 and never relinquished its lead over the next three rounds. Indian Hills posted round scores of 278-284-280-285 to finish 11 strokes ahead of second-place Odessa College (TX).
Head coach Michael Wetrich, in his first full season at the helm of the Warrior program, was named the 2023 NJCAA DI Men’s Golf Coach of the Tournament after leading the Warriors to the title. Wetrich becomes the fourth coach in school history to win a national championship with the Warriors.
“What a week – the guy’s played great,” Wetrich stated. “The entire week they played under control and they played with confidence. I couldn’t be more proud of what they just did. I want the guys to enjoy this – this is something they’re always going to remember.”
Ramirez was joined by teammate Gaspar Glaudas (Sainte Tulle, France/Shattuck St-Mary’s) who placed third overall in the tournament with a 9-under 279. Freshman Taimuar Malik (Nairobi, Kenya/Braeburn Garden Estate) tied for 15th overall with a 1-under 287 followed by Edouard Cereto’s (Béziers, France/Lycee Jean Moulin) 2-over 290. The lone two-year member of the program, sophomore Mitchell Revie (Queensland, Australia/Robina State) rounded out the scoring with a 6-over 294.
Ramirez and Glaudas become just the second set of Indian Hills teammates to place in the top-three at a national tournament, joining the 2016 duo of Jackson Bugdalski and Trevor Ullestad who both tied for third overall. Ramirez finished two strokes ahead of Laurenz Kubin of Odessa College (TX) while Glaudas’ 9-under was three strokes ahead of the fourth-place finisher to separate the Warriors from the field.
The Warriors capitalized on the Par 4’s throughout the tournament, shooting 11-under while the second-best team, Odessa, shot a 4-over on all Par 4 holes. Indian Hills tallied 70 birdies throughout the tournament, the second-most among the 24-team field.
Ramirez and Glaudas, who scored in the top-three in each of the opening three rounds, led the field with a 6-under on all Par 4 holes. Ramirez led all Indian Hills golfers with 18 birdies throughout the tournament while Malik collected 17. Glaudas added 14 while Cereto tallied 13 and Revie recorded eight.
The Warriors have now captured national titles in 2023, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, and 2000. Ramirez joins the exclusive individual national champion club with Rick Sanders (2017), Brad Smith (2006), Adam Collins (2003), Pat Stolpe (2001), and Adam Babb (1998). Ramirez’s 12-under is the second-best finish at a national tournament in school history behind Smith’s 17-under in 2006, an NJCAA national record.
Dating back to the 2001 season, the Warriors’ 11-stroke victory is the fifth largest margin. The Warriors’ 1,127 total strokes is the second-best performance in a national championship, only behind the 2006 squad which tallied 1,108.
The Warriors have now captured three consecutive national championships at the site of this year’s tournament, Sand Creek Station Golf Course. The Warriors previously won titles at Sand Creek in 2015 (10-over, 1,162) and 2012 (33-over, 1,185). The 2023 national championship was the Warriors third appearance at Sand Creek this year after placing seventh overall at the NJCAA National Preview in September and winning the Bethany College Classic in April.
The Warriors will be welcomed home Saturday morning with a national championship celebration at 11:00 AM in the Hellyer Center Booster Room. The reception is open to the public.
