The Penn College men’s golf team will compete at the NCAA Division III Championship from Tuesday to Friday at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, according to a May 12 announcement. Five Wildcats are among the field of more than 220 student-athletes who qualified for the national event.
This marks the fourth consecutive trip to nationals for Penn College, which secured its place by winning the United East Conference championship. Coach Rob Lytle said that earning a spot is becoming more challenging each year. “We knew we needed a great start on the first day,” Lytle said about this spring’s opening round in the conference championship. He added, “There were some anxious moments. But once the (rainy) weather hit, and it got pretty bad, we held our own, and the guys played some really good holes down the stretch.” The team ultimately won with a four-stroke margin.
The Wildcats will face two par-72 courses at Mission Resort: El Campeon and Las Colinas. Lytle described both as firm and fast due to drought conditions and noted that Bermuda grass presents unique challenges not often encountered by his players. The team plans practice sessions to adapt before competition begins.
Lytle highlighted senior Gunner Redmond’s improvement over his college career: “He put in a lot of work… He dedicated the winter and spring to working hard.” Redmond is joined by freshman Chase Dillman, junior Brady Handy, junior Logan Gawlinski, and junior Brett Keenan as representatives for Penn College this year.
Consistency has been key for Wildcat teams in recent seasons. Lytle credited strong work ethic across all players: “We’ve got training nets. We’ve got technology… We spend time, and we’re going to continue to work to get better.” In previous trips to nationals since 2023, Penn College finished between 29th and 41st place.
“The goal is to make the cut as a team, and perhaps one or two players to make the individual cut,” Lytle said about their aspirations this week. He concluded that success would require every player performing at their best given tough competition at this level.
Penn College Wildcats Men’s Golf participates in the Northwest Athletic Conference,according to the official website.
