Men's Golf Recruiting Class of 2021
The Iowa Lakes men's golf team is announcing four signees for the 2021-22 season. "It's been a long year, but we are looking forward to the future and I am extremely excited to announce these four to come in and help push our program." said Iowa Lakes golf coach Jarvis Weber. "They bring in a lot of swing talent and experience, so the program will be in good hands."
Ciaran Jones
Ciaran Jones is a young talented player who hails from Livingston, Scotland. He currently carries a 4 handicap and a tournament scoring average of 76, highlighted by a tournament round of 69 and being crowned the West Lothian U16 County Champion in 2018 along with the 2020 Gents Open Day Winner.
"Ciaran is young and relatively inexperienced compared to some other recruits I have had, but where he lacks in experience he makes up for with his natural ability. He has a beautiful natural golf swing and brings a ton of energy and enthusiam to this roster. We will look to hone some of that natural talent and guide him into the talented player he can become. The sky is the limit for Ciaran, he just needs some time to put all the pieces together. Hopefully Iowa Lakes provides that platform for him to really take off and post some great scores to help this program." said golf coach Jarvis Weber. "I am extremely eager to get to work with Ciaran and see what he is truly capable of and can't wait to see how far he can go."
Ciaran had this to add about what he can bring to Iowa Lakes: "I am an extremely hard working and determined team player, that will always give 100% in everything I do. I may not have been playing golf for as long as some but the level I have reached in this time is testament to the hard work and dedication I have applied to the game. I am really looking forward to bringing what I have to offer to the team as well as making new friends for life and experiencing different cultures."
Dylan Shepherd
Dylan Shepherd is an experienced, tournament ready player that comes from Redhill, England. Dylan is a year older than most of the other commits and took a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With that extra year, his experience and maturity will be leaned on to help lead this team and show some of the other players what it takes to be successful. Dylan has multiple under par tournament rounds in cluding a -3 69 and a -2 70 at Hever Castle to win the Founds Trophy and then winning the Hever Masters in a playoff.
"Dylan has a wealth of tournament experience and is an extremely determined and focused young man. We will lean on that experience and hopefully he can come through and help guide a couple of the younger players. Our expectation is for him to make an impact from day one, and I am certain he will be up for the challenge." said Coach Weber.
"When I arrive in Iowa, I am looking forward to experiencing a new culture and meeting my teammates and making new firends. This is a great opportunity that I have been given and it will give me the best chances of succeeding in golf, life, and my education." said Dylan. "My decision to sign with Iowa Lakes was a very easy one. From the first phone call with Coach Weber, I instantly felt comfortable. The ambition he has to build a strong team that can compete at every event we go to really stood out to me and I can't wait to get started and play my part."
Josh Mulcahy
Josh Mulcahy is another talented player coming across the pond from Winchester, England. Josh is a powerful player with plenty of tournament experience. He is an England Regional Team member with multiple wins in the UK. He has two European Junior Tour wins, a County League Winner, National Champions U16 member, as well as being the British Par 3 Champion in 2019. He carried a stroke average of 73 in 2019.
"Josh is a strong player with a ton of golfing ability and potential. Another great talent we got from England, he will be expected to come in and make an immediate impact on this program. He has all of the talent, he just needs a platform to showcase it and continue to get better." said Coach Weber. "I am excited to get him here and see where he can help lead this team."
Josh had this to say about coming to Iowa Lakes: "It was always my dream to play and study in America and when College Sports asked me about Iowa Lakes I jumped at the opportunity. When discussing everything with Coach Weber, I knew it was the place for me. The weather is relatively similar to England and the facilities, courses, and tournaments look fantastic. I was also impressed with the education programmes and my possibilities there."
Kendall Nicolai
Kendall Nicolai is a more local recruit from St. Peter, Minnesota and is a top 75 player in the state. Kendall brings in a nine-hole scoring average of 37.5 from his junior summer and has shown steady progress over the last four years, including playing in the Minnesota Class AA State Tournament in 2019 as a sophomore.
"Kendall is a strong player who has been improving year after year under great guidance in St. Peter. He brings a lot of power and hard work to the team that will be nice to see how it balances out with some of the other guys on the team. It's good to have different types of players, and Kendall can provide a different look at a course, as well as posting some great scores." said Coach Weber. "I am excited to get to work with Kendall. He has all of the tools needed to really become a great player, and I know his work ethic will match it."
"I chose Iowa Lakes because I think it is going to give me an opportunity to learn more skills and increase my knowledge of the the game and me tough competition. I am looking forward to being pushed and have to earn my way onto the team, along with bieng apart of the program and the team bond." said Kendall when asked about the opportunity.
"This is a great recruiting class that has a great opportunity in front of them. Our region continues to get better and better, and I know these guys will rise to the occasion and meet the challenge that is before them. We want to build a winner here, and it takes talented, hungry players to do it. I think we have a few of them here to build that culture and create something special. The sky is the limit with this group, and I am extremely excited to get to work with them in the fall." added Coach Weber. "We can combine them with our returners and really create a special group."