Caroline Bryant & Lilyana Vasquez
Editor-in-Chief & Staff Writer
On Tuesday, April 15, the No. 11 men’s golf team secured the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Championship title, while the women’s golf team placed fifth. This is the men’s first SSC title in 15 years and 17th overall.
Men
At the Rio Pinar Country Club in Orlando, the Mocs shot a three-round score of 861 (-3), winning by 13 strokes. No. 30 Barry University and No. 44 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University tied for second with 874 (+10).
Four athletes made the top-10, the first Moc being junior Freddie Parlby. Parlby placed third at 215 (-1) to make the 2025 SSC Men’s Golf All-Tournament Team alongside redshirt juniors Max Barile and Tyler Mistretta who tied for fourth (217 (+1)). Sophomore Colton Swartz finished in the No. 10 spot (218 (+2)).
According to FSC Athletics, “Parlby was the top scorer in the field on par 3s at 2.75 (-3), while Mistretta was the top player on par 4s at 3.97 (-1).” Florida Southern also had the best scores on Par 3s and Par 4s, and led the tournament with 52 birdies. Freshman Jaylen Abbas accounted for 14 of those birdies.
Sophomore Colton Swartz had the second-most pars on the course, aiding his jump in the rankings with a 69 (-3) finish in the final round.
For Swartz, the season has been about growth and rising to the occasion. A Jacksonville native and sports communication major, Swartz has been playing golf since he was four. He said the individuality of the sport gives him confidence and that this year marks a significant leap for both him and his teammates.
“It was challenging, but it was good because it pushed me to be better,” Swartz said. “My teammates were there to support me. Once I got through that little hump, it was nice to see how I came out the other side.”
Swartz emphasized the importance of putting as a game-changer in his performance, which has contributed to the team’s spring successes — including two individual tournament wins under his belt and a strong team runner-up finish in Las Vegas against one of the most competitive Division II fields.
“Keep pushing no matter what — we’ll all have struggles, but keep going,” Swartz said.
Women
Down the road at the Mission Inn Resort & Club, the No. 22 women’s team fought for their own title, able to attain a respectable fifth place (898 (+46)). Nova Southeastern University grabbed first, with Lynn University in second.
Senior Clare Gimpel was the top Moc, managing the No. 10 spot at 222 (+9).
Sophomore Ava LaBelle finished behind Gimpel in 12th with 223 (+10) after jumping 10 spots in the final round. Freshman McKinley Holding also made a drastic climb, pushing through 11 spots to finish in 18th.
Holding, originally from Atlanta, joined FSC after relocating to Florida during high school to attend Leviter Golf Academy. She credits her father for introducing her to the sport and Head Coach David for bringing her to FSC.
“It’s really refined my game and helped me stay focused mentally and physically,” Holding said, reflecting on the transition to collegiate golf. “Time management is super important with long practice days, but it’s made me sharper overall.”
Holding, who placed in the top 20 during the SSC championship said her teammates have played a big role in her experience at FSC.
“We’re very open and honest with each other,” said Holding. She also mentioned their team bonding activities such as eating together at Freddy’s, playing pickleball and even doing Bible studies together while enjoying snacks.
“After a tough round, I just pray about it and reflect,” she said.“‘Everybody misses, but whoever misses the closest wins,’” Holding said, quoting golf legend Ben Hogan.
Heading into the postseason, both teams now await the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Regional announcement to see who will have the chance to compete for the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship.
