June 21, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The view on the driving range at Finkbine Golf Course is changing day by day with the addition of the Varsity Golf Complex, the new home for Iowa men’s and women’s golf. Golfers at Finkbine are now able to see framework of the facility being put in place.
“It’s exciting to see our new Varsity Golf Complex progressing right on schedule,” said UI men’s head golf coach Mark Hankins, who will be in his sixth season next year. “It’s a state of the art facility with the convenience of being on Finkbine on the University of Iowa campus. It’s a huge advantage for our athletes to have access to this type of facility, day or night, anytime throughout the year.”
The Varsity Golf Complex will only help the nationally ranked men’s team improve. Iowa is coming off another top-25 finish in the nation at the NCAA Championships, its third appearance at the national tournament in the last four seasons. The Hawkeyes return two All-Big Ten players in Steven Ihm and Ian Vandersee, along with honorable mention All-American Joseph Winslow.
“Next year should be a competitive year for our guys within the team, and therefore promising for Iowa golf,” Hankins said. “Our underclassmen played well during the spring and they will use that experience going forward. We have to replace our senior leadership, but have two quality incoming freshmen and returning letterwinners for experience.”
The new state-of-the-art facility, paired with a solid roster, makes for exciting times for Hankins and the men’s golf team.
“As always, we will take one tournament at a time,” Hankins said. “We will work at staying in the present and make sure that we maximize our talent through the Big Ten Championships and NCAA’s.”