TIGER GOLF April 22, 2011

Warsaw Tiger Golf Team Ranked #1 in State of Indiana

After a first place finish last weekend at The Legends Golf Course in Franklin, Indiana, Coach Ben Barkey's Warsaw Tiger golf team was promptly rewarded with the #1 ranking in the state. TigerSportsNation.com had the pleasure of interviewing Coach Barkey about the prestigious honor bestowed upon his boys program.

TSN - Coach, could you speak to the current player's work ethic?

Coach Barkey - Everybody on this team (JV and Varsity players) works hard all year round. Hard work is contagious on such a small team like golf. When a group of players work hard, others also copy what the better players are doing, which includes work ethic. This trickles all the way down to our Junior High program. So if a younger player wants to make an impact on Varsity team, they get to see first-hand what it takes. It becomes second nature by the time they reach high school.

TSN - When was the last time the WCHS Golf Team was ranked #1 in the State?

Coach Barkey - 2005 at the end of our State Championship run. Based off the records given to me when I started coaching WCHS was ranked #1 as well in 1988.

TSN - Can you give TSN.com readers an idea of your plan leading up to this season. Obviously, you knew you had a talented group...

Coach Barkey - It really started when Eric Tandy was a freshman. We made a commitment to get the young talented players as much Varsity experience as possible. The following year when Tyler Ostrom and Bennett Hollar were freshman, we were fortunate to make it to state as a team. That was great experience for the younger guys and I knew it was a valuable part of our growth. Last year with two freshmen in the lineup it was critical that they also experienced the state final atmosphere and pressure. We are still considered young and all of our players have state tournament experience. Three out of five have multiple years experience playing at the highest level. There are no surprises and we know what to expect.

TSN - Who would be some teams that are considered elite competition or rivals?

Coach Barkey - The team that is local that is really good right now is Triton. They have a solid program going, and Homestead, but we don't really consider them rivals. The only rival is the course we are playing that day. I know that sounds like a cliché, but that's really what we want to focus on. We try to stay away from saying we want to be this team or that team. What we think about is how can we beat this course on this given day.

TSN - How does this team stack up vs. teams you have coached in the past?

Coach Barkey - 2005 (IHSAA State Champions) was a really good team, 2011 teams hopes to be just as good. I know that is what we are working towards.

TSN - Obviously, in the game of golf, the willingness of the parents to get their kids to the golf course is a huge factor. Can you talk about the important role parents play with this group?

Coach Barkey - The parents of this group of boys have instilled good values in their boys. That helps with their sportsmanship, work ethic, cooperation, and everything else I ask them to do. You can't beat good parenting!

TSN - With a state title in 2005 and now the #1 ranking in the entire state, you have built a powerhouse here at Warsaw. Can you talk a little about the golf program as a whole?

Coach Barkey - This #1 ranking is fun for the guys and we are going to enjoy this honor for as long as it lasts. As for establishing a powerhouse, I think this program has proven to be really good year-in and year-out since the 1960's. This #1 honor just adds to it a little. The golf program has finished top 4 or better 7 times at the IHSAA state finals, we are 4th in the state for total sectional wins, we are 6th in the state for total regional wins and we have gone to state 18 years. That is more than a third of the time since the program began at WCHS. There is a lot of tradition to our Tiger golf program. It all started with Coach Harris (Hall of famer) that was carried on by Coach Turner (Hall of famer) and we are just trying to do our part to honor that tradition of excellence.

The 2011 version of the Warsaw Tiger golf team is listed below:

Eric Tandy
Tyler Ostrom
Bennett Hollar
Jon Schram
Tim Ahlersmeyer
Lance Lybarger
Justin Self
Evan Cultice
Viraj Gokhale
Will Petro
Jared Essig
Simon Stone

Coach Barkey and his Tiger team play their home matches at Stonehenge Golf Club. A complete schedule is listed on the TSN.com . Follow the 2011 boys golf program scores and write ups here at TigerSportsNation.com

Posted In: Boy's Sports > Golf

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