Returning to a scenic and challenging stage
The 12 members of EMU’s disc golf team were among more than 700 students from 80 universities across the country who traveled to Marion, North Carolina, for the 2023 College Disc Golf National Championship featuring four days (April 5-8) of team and individual competition at North Cove Leisure Club.
It’s the third time EMU has participated in the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)-sanctioned annual tournament—and the third time since 2021 that nationals have been held at North Cove, an outdoor recreation and events center about an hour from Asheville that boasts three championship 18-hole disc golf courses of varying lengths, elevations, and difficulties.
Nestled between the Linville Gorge and Pisgah National Forest, the courses play back and forth across the Catawba River and feature stunning mountain views; open meadows; wooded holes with trees; and impressive boulder, rock and stone formations. “It’s beautiful, and the fact that the river comes into play on a lot of holes is both scenic and adds challenge,” said coach Trevor Oyer ‘19.
Building a program
Oyer got “obsessed with disc golf” as a sophomore at Hesston College where he even helped to design and install a 9-hole disc golf course. Oyer transferred to EMU as a junior and a year later decided he wanted to play college disc golf. He gained the support of former EMU Athletics Director Dave King and in the fall of 2019 started a disc golf team that included his brother Jared Oyer ‘21 and Silas Driver ‘19, both of whom began playing disc golf at Hesston, and Cameron Byer ‘21.
The four EMU disc golfers competed in their first tournament that November at Liberty University where they missed a bid to nationals by one stroke. They went on to earn a bid in February 2020 at their own tournament, the EMU Royals Qualifier, held at Westover Park Disc Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
COVID canceled the 2020 National Championship, but it did extend Oyer’s eligibility, allowing him to compete during the 2020-2021 disc golf season and at the 2021 National Championship; the PDGA typically awards bids to nationals through rankings, invitations, and qualifying events throughout a season, but decided any team who registered on time could play at North Cove in 2021.
EMU sent six men to nationals that year, including Oyer, his brother, and Byer. “It was a great time,” shared Oyer, who placed 12th out of 42 doubles teams in the DII division along with Byer; the doubles team of Jared Oyer and Zach Bauman ‘23 finished 22nd in the DII division. (DI, DII and DIII disc golf divisions correlate to top, middle and bottom, respectively, and not NCAA Divisions I, II and III.)
Oyer’s eligibility expired after the 2021 National Championship, and he transitioned from player to head coach of EMU’s disc golf team for the 2021-2022 season because he wanted “to help continue to grow the program.” “I knew how helpful it could be to have someone assist behind the scenes with logistics… and coach players.” Bauman was one of eight players (two teams of four) representing EMU at North Cove for the 2022 National Championship. His team of Joe Seitz ‘22, Sean McClary and Noah Swartzentruber encountered “weather in the ‘70s, rain and then snow” to tie for 18th out of 71 teams in the DII division, said Bauman.
Rising to the occasion
While it didn’t snow at nationals in 2023, disc golfers did have to contend with three days of cold, windy and rainy weather. “When it’s slippery, your footing is affected and you can’t throw as hard because you don’t have as good of a grip on your disc,” revealed Bauman. “You have to tone it down and go for simpler shots.” Bauman says he has learned to travel with towels and an umbrella when coming to North Cove.
EMU performed well at Liberty University’s Regional Qualifier in March, picking up a bid and punching its ticket to the 2023 National Championship. “I look forward to nationals all year,” said McClary. “It’s fun to see all the people we compete against during the season in one place as well as see teams we play less often or may not play against at all,” added Swartzentruber. According to Bauman, “It’s fun to spread where you’re from, talk to people, and play with hundreds of other college students who are passionate about disc golf.”
McClary, Swartzentruber and Bauman—along with Ethan Spicher ‘23—made up the Men’s A Team, one of the two men’s teams (two teams of four) and two women’s teams (two teams of two) from EMU to compete at nationals. The Men’s A Team placed 4th out of 51 DII teams while Bauman and McClary finished 13th and 22nd, respectively, out of 201 individual DII competitors. The Men’s B Team of Seth Andreas ‘23, Will Bartel, Aaron Moyer and Caleb Oesch ‘23 placed 21st out of 42 teams in the DIII division. Out of 28 teams, the Women’s A Team of Rebekah Amstutz ’23 and Lindsey White ‘23 placed 9th while the Women’s B Team of Kara Kornhaus and Maddie LaFlamme finished 26th; White placed 13th in the nation (out of 59 individual competitors).
“It’s surprising,” White said of her results. “It’s only the second tournament I’ve played in.” Amstutz, her doubles partner, had reached out to Oyer over the summer about starting a women’s team and then “roped in” her friends Kornhaus and LaFlamme to join. The three women played in one fall tournament. White joined the team in January—three months prior to the EMU women’s team competing for the first time on college disc golf’s national stage.
“Lindsay played smart and strategically,” said Oyer of White’s individual round. “For Holes 1-17, she only had single bogeys, pars or birdies.” Disc golf is scored like golf where players can earn an eagle, birdie, par, bogey, double bogey, or triple bogey; they must keep each shot inbounds—avoiding water and trees—or incur a penalty stroke. It’s different from golf in that players aim to throw a disc into a basket each hole in the fewest number of shots possible; they tee off from a tee pad, typically with a driver disc.
In addition to a driver, there are also mid-range and putter discs. Drivers are for longer distances, mid-range for middle distances, and putters for shorter distances. Each disc has a number on it, which represent speed, slide, turn, and fade. Oyer says beginners only need one disc and that college players often carry up to 20 discs in their bag, but rely on those they are most confident in when it comes to crunch time. In addition, as players improve, they may opt to use new discs.
“I throw three discs,” said White. “I have to be intentional about the shot I’m taking, the disc I’m throwing, and how I’m going to throw it.” White generally throws backhand while McClary usually throws forehand. Several other throwing styles exist, including overhand; players often have a preferred style but adjust as needed depending on the shot.
EMU disc golfers played one individual round and three team rounds at North Cove. The women’s team rounds were played as regular doubles; both women teed off at each hole, decided which shot they liked better, and then both threw again on each subsequent shot. The individual women’s scores were added together and divided by two to come up with a team score for the round. The men’s team rounds were played as team doubles; two men teed off, decided which shot they liked better, and then the other two men threw. The teams alternated until they finished the hole and also alternated tee-offs. The individual men’s scores were added together and divided by four to come up with a team score for the round.
The Men’s B Team, Women’s A Team, and Women’s B Team played their individual rounds and two team rounds on River Run, the simplest and shortest of the three courses with mainly par 3 holes, and also played one team round on Boulders, a longer and more challenging course. The Men’s A Team played its individual round on River Run, one team round on Boulders and two team rounds on The Gorge, the longest and most difficult course.
Appreciating disc golf and one another
“I just like throwing shots and watching them fly,” said Swartzentruber. “I also like meeting and getting to know the people I play with… It helps me relax because I feel like I’m just playing the game versus competing against other people.” McClary says he likes “the sound of a disc flying into the basket from however far away you are” and that “the people are amazing.”
The EMU team of 12 also enjoyed getting to know one another better by staying in a house Oyer booked about 10 minutes from North Cove. “Players could come and go as needed for their rounds or support and watch other teams. The communal space also allowed us to share meals together and talk in the evenings about the rounds,” said Oyer.
“I so deeply enjoyed being with the team and getting to know them while working on the mental and physical aspects of my game,” shared White. “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, I just need to keep playing and look ahead.” Amstutz added, “I want to keep playing disc golf forever to try to get better.”
This article was published in the Spring/Summer 2023 Crossroads magazine.