OCU wins NAIA National Championship under shadow of program’s elimination
Christian Yanovitch kept it together, playing the last seven holes in 2-under-par to lead Oklahoma City University to a historic 12th NAIA national championship in men’s golf while winning the individual title as well.
Historic because unless things change, it will be the last team or individual title for the NAIA powerhouse, as the administration announced last fall that it would be dropping the men’s and women’s golf programs following the season.
Under that shadow, head coach Blake Trimble and his team went to the 74th Annual NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., on a mission.
“We said it from the day it was announced, we were going to go win the national championship and make our school look pretty silly for dropping this program,” Trimble said. “I’m happy we were able to go out on top. We battled through a lot of adversity but once we figured out everyone was coming back this spring and had their next schools settled, we put it together.”
Yanovitch, a junior who will transfer to Oklahoma Christian to continue his career, is the nephew of Cedar Ridge General Manager Rob Yanovitch and one of nine siblings who grew up in Connecticut. Trimble recruited him at the urging of his uncle Rob and it paid off in a brilliant performance this week.
Yanovitch shot rounds of 71-69-70 to finish at even-par 210, two shots better than Yann Ferrando of Keiser.
“He’s just a stud,” Trimble said. “He’s a really long hitter with a great touch. On the final hole, when we really needed a par, he blistered a 2-iron out there, hit it to 20 feet and a solid two-putt.”
After USAO (University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) was a surprise first-round leader, OCU surged into the lead in the second round and held it to the wire. But a 12-shot advantage late in the final round nearly disappeared, especially after four of the five OCU players made bogey on the 18th hole.
Friends played the 17th hole in 3-under and pulled within a shot. The final tally was a 33-over 1153 total for OCU to a 35-over 1155 for Friends, based in Wichita.
Also for OCU, Carter Ray finished in a tie for fifth at 5-over after a final round 75. Cameron Boyzk tied for 29th at 14 over, Lorenzo Santinelli tied for 49th at 19 over and Jack Newton tied for 53rd at 20 over.
OCU was the dominant NAIA program with 11 national championships in 23 years under former coach Kyle Blaser, who resigned in 2019 to go into private business.
A fund raising effort to keep the program secured commitments for $4 million but was rebuffed by OCU President Kenneth Evans who said it would take $10 million in commitments to keep the men’s and women’s programs.
“I just don’t think they were interested in finding a way to keep it going,” said Trimble.
The players have completed the spring semester and will scatter to their final destinations. Trimble has a month left on his contract and is still weighing options for his future
USAO finished seventh in its first appearance in the national championship.