By Reagan Thomas · Contributing Writer
A sophomore from the college, Luke Gronbeck, etched his name into Wolverine golf history this week, earning medalist honors at the PAC fall championships held at Avalon Lakes Golf Course.
Gronbeck’s 36-hole score of 139, highlighted by a record-breaking program finish of five-under (67) in the first round, led the men’s team to a third-place finish in the 10-team field.
“I got off to a really good start in that first round. I made a couple birdies, which really settled me down and built some momentum for the rest of the round,” Gronbeck said.
“Throughout the tournament, my putting was solid. I felt very confident on the greens, which was a great feeling to have, especially in that tournament setting.”
His performance not only secured the individual title but also set college records for both the lowest single-round and 36-hole scores at a conference championship. Gronbeck finished six strokes ahead of Allegheny’s Christopher Hoffman, the runner-up.
“It was great to earn a medal in the fall. While we’re still only halfway there in regard to the PAC championship as a whole, it was a really good start that felt rewarding after the work me and the team have put in this fall. My goal is to personally shoot under par again, which I think will help the team make a run at the PAC title,” Gronbeck said.
Junior Tyler Derstein placed 14th with 156, while Nathan Young followed in 18th with 158. Sophomore Seth Hartman and senior Jonah Kozora placed 30th and 36th, respectively.
“The feeling going into fall championships was we could play loose and free without feeling a burden of expectations. We wanted the golfers to just go out and enjoy the experience, play relaxed and stay calm in an arena where pressure — or just one or two bad swings or bad choices — can derail a promising round,” Head Coach Brad Isles said.
“Luke’s five-under 67 in the first round of PACs was simply a superb round of golf. That he followed that with an even-par 72 in much worse conditions during the second round may have been even better,” Isles concluded.
On the women’s side, the college placed fourth out of 11 teams at Squaw Creek Golf Club. Junior Lauren Kardos led the Wolverines with a seventh-place finish, shooting a two-day total of 170. Sophomore Gabrielle Kinneer followed in 18th with a 185, while seniors Hailey Muñoz and Rebekah Gaehring, along with sophomore Sydney Goettel, contributed to the team’s 750 total.
“We had a strong fall, so we were optimistic heading into PACs without feeling stressed out by it. We had played especially well in our home invitational a week earlier, shooting a team total of 347 — our best performance of the season. We have nine women on the team, any one of whom would represent Grove City well in an event. They have all put in the time and effort on the course and in the golf room,” Assistant Coach Amy Smith said.
“Lauren consistently shot in the 70s and low 80s, set school records, won events and led by example. Gabby dropped over 20 strokes between last year’s PAC championships and this year’s,” Smith concluded.
“At the beginning of the season, I was really struggling with a horrible slice. All season I was working on straightening out my shots and learning to play with a slice. I also had to accept that I’m not going to be perfect every single shot,” Kinner said.
“On hole two on Monday, I got a birdie, which really encouraged me for the rest of the day.”
Looking ahead, she added, “I really want to focus on staying consistent again and to take better advantage of when I do hit really good shots.”
Smith noted the team’s upward trajectory: “Numbers don’t lie! We went from shooting a team score of 793 in the 2023 fall PAC championship to 780 last fall, to 750 last week … ours is definitely a program on the rise!”
Both coaches are focused on maintaining momentum heading into the spring.
“The best way to build on the momentum gained from a strong fall and PACs is the commitment of our student-athletes. We’ll work more on strength and conditioning, review and analyze in-depth statistics from the fall and do everything we can to be ready for a good week of training during spring break,” Isles said.
Smith added that the women’s team will stay connected during the off-season.
“We’ll continue to be a team by communicating regularly, gathering for social events, participating in a missional service project, enjoying team dinners, praying for one another, etc. Our golfers will spend time working on their game on campus and on their own as they’re able,” he said.
She also shared plans for their spring break trip, which includes team building, spiritual development, mental mindset training, practice and play.
“It’s the ideal way to kick off the spring season,” Smith said. Both coaches emphasized the importance of team culture.
“Coach Amy Smith has done a tremendous job working on and improving both of our teams. While golf is a highly competitive individual sport, we know that pooling together the best individual rounds also leads to team success,” Isles said.
“It’s a challenge — but we’re committed to this. Our team is working diligently to build a culture of excellence, accountability, care and celebration,” Smith added.
The fall championships mark the halfway point of the 2025–26 PAC season. Both teams will return to action in March, with the spring championships scheduled for April 24 to 25 at Mill Creek Golf Course in Boardman, Ohio.
