Wild two weeks ahead as Barry competes for four national titles
These are exciting times at Barry University.
The Buccaneers are still alive for a potential of four national titles (NCAA Division II) within the next two weeks — men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis.
Alice Gotbring, Barry’s fourth-year junior golfer from Sweden, won the NCAA South Region last week. It was her fifth individual title this year, tying Tilda Larsson’s school record set in 2018.
On Tuesday, Gotbring and her teammates will be in Gainesville, Georgia, where they will attempt to win Barry’s first national title of the year.
Barry also has a star in men’s golf — AJ Ewart, a third-year junior from
Canada. Like Gotbring, Ewart won the NCAA South Region. It was Ewart’s seventh individual title this year, tying Barry’s school record set in 2014 by Adam Svensson.
Ewart is on an amazing roll with four straight individual titles and six in the past seven tournaments.
The Bucs’ men’s golf team will compete for the national title May 16-20 in Detroit.
Barry’s women’s tennis team (24-0) advanced to the 16-team national tournament set for May 17-21 at Altamonte Springs.
The Bucs’ men’s tennis team (17-5) is one win away from advancing to nationals May 18-22 at Altamonte Springs.
How realistic is it for Barry to win four national titles in a couple of wild weeks?
Look at it this way:
Barry is ranked No. 1 nationally in men’s golf and women’s tennis, ranked second in men’s tennis and third in women’s golf.
THIS AND THAT
St. Thomas University’s baseball team, 38-17 and ranked eighth nationally (NAIA), will host the opening round of playoffs May 16-19. There are 45 teams in the playoffs nationally, and St. Thomas will likely host three other schools. The Bobcats are looking for their first national title after finishing second in 2015 and 2019.
Florida Memorial will begin the third year of its relaunch this fall with a new coach, Bobby Rome II, a native of Virginia. Rome has eight years of experience as a college head coach, including two seasons at Central State.
As a player, Rome was a fullback for the University of North Carolina from 2006 to 2009. He arrived at UNC as a quarterback, but he played 49 games — including 12 starts — as a 5-11, 250-pound fullback. He had 41 touches for 370 yards in four years.
NSU’s women’s tennis has also advanced to nationals, although they have played in Barry’s shadow this year.
NSU’s men’s basketball team, which went 31-1 and finished three wins short of an NCAA Division II national title this past season, graduates starting point guard Nick Smith
and top 3-point shooter Eddie Puisis.
NSU coach Jim Crutchfield is hoping two players who missed all or most of the season due to leg injuries — Dallas Graziani and Jake Maranville — can return and make an impact. Veteran Mike Moore could ascend to
the starting lineup.
In addition, NSU is adding two freshmen: 6-5 wing Ryan Davis, who won a state title for Martin County, and Maxwell Gordon, a 5-10 guard from Cypress Bay.
NSU’s women’s basketball team last week signed three Division I transfers: Madison Frederick (Iowa State), Emma Krause (William & Mary) and Zeyna Seren (New Mexico State).