Photo by: Sports Media Relations

The University of Denver men’s golf team wrapped up its season in Washington with a tie for 15th place at the NCAA West Regional Championships.

Leading the way for the Pioneers was senior Tony Giarratano, who finished in a tie for eighth place. Giarratano finished the tournament shooting a 1-under par 215.

Giarratano will head to Stillwater, Okla. with Coach Eric Hoos to compete in the NCAA National Championships this week. Giarratano is the first Denver player to ever advance to the NCAA National Championships.

“He is an exceptionally hard worker, very mentally tough, a very driven player,” said Hoos.

Although Hoos said he was hoping to finish in the top 10, this year’s team is the first Pioneer team to ever reach championship play.

“I was a little disappointed,” Hoos said. We are much better than that and I had expectations of finishing in the top 10 and qualifying for nationals.”

He said the team did not do as well as he would have liked at the tournament because of the players’ inexperience.

“They didn’t have the experience of being at that tournament before.”

The team also had to struggle with the elements at the tournament. The cold weather and rain forced several delays.

“It was a tough situation,” Hoos said. However, the team’s overall season was a success. Each year since becoming a Division I program, the team has done better than the prior year.

This year the Pioneers finished with their highest ranking yet.

Hoos said, “In the past four years we have gone from being ranked like 260th in the nation to finishing 36th this year.

So that is not bad progression over the years.”

Not bad is right. In their first year in Division I, the Pioneers did not beat one Division I team. This year, the golfers went to the regional tournament.

Hoos attributed much of the team’s success this season to the team’s work ethic. “I have a group of guys willing to work hard and wanting to succeed.”

Hoos also said the success was a team effort, “Everyone had contributions. At different times different players played well.”

Hoos has high expectations for next season.

He hopes that next year the team will not only go to the regional tournament again, but also qualify as a team for the NCAA National Championships.

Hoos said. that recruiting will play a significant role in Denver’s future success.

For next year Hoos has added two new players to the team to enhance chances of the team making it to the national tournament.