Jack Hoover
SPORTS EDITOR
For the first time in what feels like forever, UNO sports will be back on the playing field.
While the Summit League is still postponed and the NCHC is figuring out what they will do for their upcoming season, Maverick men’s and women’s golf will be set to tee off this month.
As a sport with little to no human contact, the pathway for golf to return was made easier. Across the country, different schools will be competing in various invitationals to kick their seasons off.
Both UNO men’s and women’s golf will be venturing across the Missouri River for their first events of 2020-2021. The men’s team will be competing in the Zach Johnson Invitational at Drake University, while the women’s team will take part in the Iowa Western Collegiate Showcase. Both invitationals will run from Sept. 28-29.
For the women’s team, this will be their first time competing at Iowa Western. The men’s team meanwhile will be no stranger to competing at Drake, as this will be their fourth time in the invitational. Their best finish came in 2017 when they put up 896 points and finished fifth overall.
There will be plenty of golfers to watch on both teams. On the women’s team, junior Zora Gittens was a standout from last season. In the 2019-2020 season, Gittens had 1367, which was the fewest of anyone on the team who played all 17 rounds last year. This year, Gittens will look to lead the team by example.
The men’s team lost some big performers from last season, such as Witchayapat Sinsrang, who won UNO Athlete of the Year last year. Sinsrang was the first golfer, men’s or women’s, to win Athlete of the Year at UNO.
In Sinsrang’s place could emerge Josh Peters, one of only two returners to play all 21 rounds last season. Peters tied for 19th last year at the Drake Invitational and he’ll be looking for an even better finish this year.
After the two days’ of action in Iowa, both Maverick teams will get a short break before returning to action in October. Fans wanting to see UNO a little closer to home can watch both men’s and women’s golf at the Maverick Invitational at the Creek on Oct. 12 and 13.
