Student-athletes can wind up with extremely grueling schedules. In fact, sometimes those schedules can take a toll on one’s ability to perform in one or the other disciplines.
According to Gannon University sophomore Matt Barto, his increasingly demanding academics have forced some of his focus from golf.
His performance wouldn’t say so, however.
Despite the course playing very firm last weekend according to Barto, he finished second in a pool of 101 at the BrownGolf Intercollegiate Men’s Golf Invitational, held at Whispering Pines, N.C.
“Not being a longer hitter it was hard to hold the green,” Barto said of his outing at the Country Club of Whispering Pines. “Everybody was struggling chipping and putting.”
Barto finished the weekend at 6-over while teammate Daegan Wall tied for 22nd at 15 over par, and Cameron Zbrzeznj rounded out Gannon’s top three at +19.
This was Barto’s fifth career top-two finish, and his best finish since winning the Gannon Spring Invitational last April 18.
Barto is coming off of a stellar freshman season. In addition to being only the second student-athlete in program history to be named the PSAC freshman of the year, he claimed the program’s first ever individual title at the PSAC championship in October of 2014.
He also landed a spot on the All-PSAC first team, and was named a PSAC scholar-athlete amongst several other awards and honors he received in the 2014-15 season.
Last weekend Barto’s runner-up finish helped Gannon finish eighth among 14 teams at the program’s spring season opener in Whispering Pines.
Barto said his go-to shot has been his left-to-right ball this season, but he added that he is hoping to get more comfortable with his game so he can hit the ball both directions with relative consistency.
Barto will have plenty of time to practice as the Knights take a hiatus from competition for about a month before returning to action on April 10 at the Le Moyne Invitational.
Gannon had opened the fall season previously against Le Moyne, finishing 10th out of 16 teams.
ALEC SCHEMMEL
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