CMC75 Moments: 1967 Men's Golf Goes Undefeated in SCIAC, Advances to NAIA Semis

As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.

Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1967 Men's Golf: Stags Go Undefeated in SCIAC, Reach NAIA National Semis

Claremont-Mudd men's golf started out as a SCIAC power, winning league titles in 1962 and 1963, but had come up just short by finishing in second place in 1965 and 1966. The 1967 squad, though, came through with a dominant season, rolling through the league schedule with a perfect undefeated record at 10-0. A narrow 30-24 win over Pomona was the closest match during the regular season, but the Stags dominated the second meeting 47-7, as they headed into the postseason on a high note.

Claremont-Mudd kept its stellar season going from there, qualifying for the NAIA Nationals in Davenport, Iowa, where they finished as a semifinalist. Dick Freeman led the way for the Stags, going undefeated in duals, while Mike Malone finished second behind Freeman in the SCIAC Tournament to help the Stags to the team title. Rich Strock would also go on to win first-team All-SCIAC honors and win the NAIA District III Championship to earn a trip to nationals as a senior. 

Senior Henry Kravis served as a team captain, going out in his final season with an undefeated conference record. His name remains a big part of Claremont McKenna, as the Kravis Center named in his honor (pictured at right) serves as the western gateway to the campus and has won awards for its architecture and engineering. CMC's Kravis Leadership Institute, meanwhile, serves as the leading institute for leadership research, theory, and practice, whose mission is to be a premier academic center for the promotion and understanding of responsible, innovative leadership and to provide unique opportunities for CMC students to develop as outstanding real-world leaders in the public, private and social sectors.

Mike Malone:

It was a long time ago, but that season still brings back great memories. Back then the golf team had virtually no financial budget. Dean MacLeod would hand us each one new golf ball before each match or tournament, and that was it! No equipment, no apparel, no travel money, and certainly no scholarships. Although we were all serious about competing for our school, it often felt like the golf team was considered more of a hobby than a sport by the rest of the school.

Then we qualified to go to the NAIA Tournament in Davenport, Iowa and suddenly there was money to fund that whole trip. We were thrilled. That was an adventure for all of us, especially someone like me who had never before left the state of California.

I am short on specific worthy memories of that year. However, I can say that we always felt united as a team. All the players on that team contributed to our success that year. While our most consistently strong performances came from Dick Freeman and Rich Strock, we had great depth. In almost all matches, we knew that our No. 4, 5, and 6 players were likely to dominate, as other teams were never as deep.

Rich Strock:

My recollection was that I was the medalist among our teammates in the national tournament, finishing somewhere about 23rd individually.  

This has nothing to do with the 1967 championship, but you have triggered memories.  When I was a freshman at the 1966 SCIACs, I shot a 70 in the first round at Red Hill and had a five stroke lead, which was blown in the second round that day with an 80, finishing third. One of my ties to the school was due to my appreciation of paying for my trip after individually winning the NAIA Regional in 1969. I left immediately after my graduation to go to play as an individual in the NAIA national championships. No great memories of that result - 1967 was, in fact, the most memorable of my college golf.

Sandy Gillespie, a teammate, left CMC after that season. He turned out to the best player of all. Sandy played in 17 Crosby tournaments and won many club championships at Burlingame Country Club and San Francisco Country Club. He won the San Francisco City Championship as well. 

1967 Men's Golf Roster
Head Coach: Clifton MacLeod
Dan Cockroft (CMC)
Craig Dodel (CMC)
Dick Freeman (CMC)
Charles Gillespie (CMC)
Henry Kravis (CMC)
Mike Malone (CMC)
Rich Strock (CMC)