CMC75 Moments: 1962 Men's Golf Wins First SCIAC Title for Claremont-Mudd
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
1962 Men's Golf wins department's first SCIAC Championship
The Claremont-Mudd men's golf team got off to a strong start after its break from Pomona, finishing second in the first season of SCIAC competition in 1961. In 1962, though, they made history with the first team SCIAC Championship in Claremont-Mudd's young history, the first of many to come (a figure which currently stands at 343). The Stags had a dual defeat to Occidental in the regular season finale to share the top spot in the league standings at 8-1 (and 14-2-1 overall), but then responded to win the SCIAC Tournament Championship to put the first SCIAC trophy in the new CMC gymnasium. Rick Schmidt came in second place individually at the SCIAC Championships, while Ken Chiate captained the first SCIAC trophy-winning squad.
In 1963, the Stags continued the momentum with a 10-0 SCIAC record and an NAIA District Championship, joining men's tennis as the first Claremont-Mudd teams to earn district championships. On the 1963 team, the Stags had the top three finishers in the SCIAC Championship, all sophomores in their first year of varsity competition: Bob Campbell (first), Glenn Rogers (second), and Jesse Clark (third). The 1963 team finished 13th at the NAIA Championships, with Campbell the top finisher with a 77-80-75.
Clark graduated in 1985 and in April of 1966, he died in action during the Vietnam conflict, and the SCIAC's Jesse Clark Award was started in his memory by his family, as well as Professor and Mrs. Charles S. Holmes.
John Heaton:
Those three sophomores in 1963 (Campbell, Rogers, Clark) were great. My 1962 story is that I was playing way over my head, breaking 80 in the morning and having another great round in the afternoon. While I was finishing on the 18th hole, Buzz Shapiro came out to tell me we had won and that I could beat Russ Ahrens for fifth place with a good finish. I promptly gave away the fifth place spot.
It was a different era. Three years ago I went to Jekyll Island to watch the current men's and women's teams play in the Division III championship. Most of the men were scratch players, whereas in my day I played sixth man with a 12 or 14 handicap.
1962 Men's Golf Roster
Head Coach: Clifton Macleod
Russ Ahrens
Robert Bruning
Ken Chiate
Craig Gross
John Heaton
Bob Lattin
Rick Schmidt
Barry Shapiro
John Way
1963 Men's Golf Roster
Head Coach: Clifton Macleod
Russ Ahrens
Bob Campbell
Jesse Clark
Craig Gross
John Heaton
Glenn Rogers
Barry Shapiro