Another week. Another walk Around the Oval.
In this week's edition of ATO, Eleven Warriors' one-stop shop for coverage of Ohio State's Olympic sports, we provide updates on men's golf, wrestling, men's ice hockey and several other programs.
Over the past week, we also covered men’s tennis’ run to the national championship match, a change in leadership for women's lacrosse as head coach Amy Bokker was fired following four seasons in Columbus and baseball's sweep of Michigan to finish 2023 with nine consecutive victories and a 31-25 record overall.
Men's Golf
Following a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Auburn Regional last week, Ohio State men's golf qualified for the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend. The qualification marks the Buckeyes' second consecutive appearance at the national tournament and 48th in program history.
punched! pic.twitter.com/C5UutJCqlb
— Ohio State Mens Golf (@OhioStateMGOLF) May 18, 2023
“Today is always a special day, and it brings forth an exceptionally high volume of emotions,” Ohio State head coach Jay Moseley said after the Auburn Regional. “This week is what every team and athlete prepares for all season. Our guys came out with courageous energy today, and their performance on the final nine holes was spectacular. I could not be more excited for our team. We know our team is equipped with the skills to play Greyhawk, and this week confirmed that we can play with anyone in the country when we play at, or near, our best.”
Maxwell Moldovan led Moseley's Ohio State squad at the Auburn University Club, shooting 7-under par and earning himself a share of first place. The Uniontown, Ohio, native has performed at an All-American level in 2022-23, recording 10 top-10 finishes and seven top-five finishes in Ohio State's 12 events and was recently named one of 10 finalists for the Fred Haskins Award, presented to the best individual golfer at the collegiate level.
“Maxwell has knocked at the door to victory all season, but he demonstrated some veteran patience throughout the year, knowing his time would come. He’s playing as good as anyone in the country right now," Moseley said. "I’m thrilled for him to get his first win of the season here at regionals."
What a day!! An under-par round and we're headed to Arizona!! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/lcImi50z8p
— Ohio State Mens Golf (@OhioStateMGOLF) May 17, 2023
Beyond Moldovan, Neal Shipley recorded a 72, 69 and 76 across three rounds to finish tied for 13th at 1-over par. The performance was Shipley's second top-15 effort this season and helped keep Ohio State in contention for an NCAA Championship spot.
JonErik Alford and Adam Wallin tied for 28th at 7-over par while Jackson Chandler tied for 69th at 20-over par. While that trio expected to perform better last week, all three Buckeyes saved their best for last and recorded their top 18-hole scores in the third round, which bodes well for Ohio State as it prepares for this weekend.
The NCAA Championship, which features the top 30 teams in Division I men's golf, will occur from Friday to Sunday at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Phoenix. Ohio State played the same course in the 2022 NCAA Championship and finished 23rd of 30.
Wrestling
Ohio State wrestler Nick Boykin took third in the Greco-Roman 97kg division at the 2023 World Team Trials over the weekend, falling short of his goal to earn a spot on the United States World Team roster.
Nick Boykin finished 3rd Saturday at the World Team Trials in Colorado Springs at 97kg (Greco). For more on the event go to: https://t.co/drIsMhOuJT#GoBucks
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) May 21, 2023
Boykin reached the semifinals in the trials, where he faced Cade Lautt of the Tar Heel Wrestling Club. In a wire-to-wire bout, Lautt defeated Boykin 6-6, VPO1 (victory by points) and sent him to the third-place match, where Boykin bounced back and defeated Brandon Marshall of Big Game Wrestling Club, 2-0, VFA (victory by fall) in 43 seconds with a pin.
A native of Murfreesboro, Tennesee, Boykin was a three-time state champion in high school, collecting a 174-4 record across four seasons. Despite that success, Boykin has not contributed much to Tom Ryan's Ohio State teams since he arrived in 2019, as he has primarily focused on international competition as a Buckeye.
The reason for that? Boykin's preferred wrestling style is Greco-Roman, which is accepted and used worldwide. However, the NCAA uses folkstyle, which can make for a problematic back-and-forth transition for wrestlers who wish to compete on both the international and collegiate stages.
Still, Boykin will return for another season at Ohio State in 2023-24 and work with a talented room of wrestlers at 197 pounds, including All-American Gavin Hoffman, Tyler Stein and Seth Shumate.
Men's Hockey
Ohio State men's hockey added a familiar face to its coaching staff last week, as head coach Steve Rohlik announced former Buckeye Paul Kirtland would assist him in his efforts to lead the program.
Welcome back to the Buckeyes He joins the staff as an assistant coach.
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) May 17, 2023
https://t.co/s1O3ZyhjX8#GoBucks @PaulKirtland pic.twitter.com/CYjRddPV4Q
"We are excited to add Paul to our staff," Rohlik said in a press release. "His character, work ethic and ability to develop players will be a huge asset to our program."
Kirtland skated for Ohio State from 2009-12 and appeared in 49 games. He then started his coaching career in 2013. He made stops in the NAHL (Fairbanks, 2013-15), USHL (Dubuque, 2017-18), NCAA Division III Trinity College (2015-17) and NCAA Division I (Sacred Heart, 2018-2020), Yale (2020-21) and, finally, Minnesota State (2021-23) before returning home to Columbus.
“The Ohio State University is very special to my family and me,” Kirtland said. “I couldn’t be more excited to return to a place that has positively impacted my life in countless ways. I want to thank Coach Rohlik for this incredible opportunity. I cannot wait to get to campus and get started.”
The Buckeyes were 21-16-3 and finished third in the Big Ten last season. Ohio State earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and defeated Harvard 8-1 in the opening round before a 4-1 loss to eventual national champion Quinnipiac in the regional final. Ohio State led the nation on the penalty kill (.887) and shorthanded goals (10). It also ranked in the top 20 in scoring offense (3.28 goals per game), scoring defense (2.52 goals allowed per game) and power play efficiency (.218).
Other News and Notes
- Sydni Ratliff and Irina Cantos Siemers are representing Ohio State women's tennis at the NCAA Singles Championship this week. Ratliff, the No. 30 individual women's tennis player in the ITA Rankings, fell to No. 45 Carly Briggs of Florida in Monday’s first round. Cantos Siemers, the No. 20 individual women's player, faces Arkansas' Carolina Gomez-Alonso in the first round.
- Ohio State softball had four players receive NFCA All-Region honors after the 2023 season, including Melina Wilkison (second team), Sam Hackenbracht (second team), Mariah Rodriguez (third team) and Kami Kortokrax (third team). The Buckeyes have produced four or more all-region players three times in the past five seasons dating back to 2019.
- The Ohio State women's rowing team will make its 23rd team appearance at the NCAA Championships from May 26-28 following a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes are one of four Big Ten teams competing at the event, along with Michigan, Indiana and Rutgers.
