Forgotten Champions: The Windsor Men’s Golf Triumph Deserves More Than Silence

By: Robert Springer 

Photo: The Lancers Men’s Golf Team huddle together for a team photo after winning the OUA Championship.

We have the best men’s golfers in the province and you wouldn’t know it by the lack of buzz around campus. Why aren’t we talking about them more, celebrating what they’ve accomplished? Other teams bask in the university’s spotlight for far less.

The Windsor men’s golf squad just pulled off a somewhat historic victory, claiming the prestigious provincial title for the first time in 30 years. Yet, the attention other sports command from the campus community has overshadowed a terrific season. Why is this great golf team relegated to the shadows?

This unsung group posted 579 points, with key players like Jarrod Smith and Alek Mauro making first-team all-stars and earning silver medals. Nicholas Tanovich followed closely with second-team all-star honours, and to top it all off, head coach Adam Wagner was named Coach of the Year. Impressive, right? So why aren’t they the toast of the town?

Compare this to the regular season matches in football or even soccer. These teams are getting lots of shoutouts across social media and are celebrated at events, even for minor victories. A football game win with no title on the line gets more campus love than a championship performance from the golf team. What drives this disparity? Is it because golf is seen as less exciting or falls outside the mainstream? Is the football team more marketable? If so, that would be a shame. Financial success shouldn’t be the only marker of significance.

Imagine if we only celebrated students in popular majors like business or engineering while ignoring those excelling in philosophy or art. That would be absurd. Athletic achievement is no different. Every win, every title, deserves respect and acknowledgment.

It’s time for our campus to rethink its approach to recognizing athletic achievements. If our golfers can break a three-decade drought and win an OUA championship, they deserve more than just a fleeting mention; they deserve the same recognition we give to our football or soccer teams. It’s time to give all our athletes the respect they’ve earned.