Capitol’s annual golf tournament, held at the Turf Valley resort in central Maryland on September 29, was the most successful so far, netting $17,000 in scholarship money for students – a record amount in the seven-year history of the event.
Nineteen teams played the eighteen holes of the tournament, matching their skills against the challenges presented by Turf Valley’s championship-level course. Competition was tight, with the top finishers separated by only a few strokes. First place went to Ross Meyers and Mike Milbourne, representing Nauticon Imaging Solutions, with a score of 56.
Team Lockheed Martin was next, with members Rick Geritz, Haden Land, Larry Letow and Roya Mohadjer scoring 58. Third place, and a score of 59, went to Pepco’s team – Phil Kelly, Eric Kerzel, Craig Stark and Tas Taousakis.
Rachel Burns, assistant director of development, was the main organizer of the tournament. She says she was delighted with the turnout and the level of support.
“The golf tournament is a fun event,” she said. “Our alumni and vendors come out and have a great time. It’s also a good way to fundraise and to raise the profile of the school.”
“This year was particularly exciting because we had a tournament sponsor – a sponsor starting at the $5,000 level. I was excited to see that level of support for the college. I also was really pleased that we had a sponsor for all eighteen holes. And I was impressed with the alumni and board members who sponsored a hole even if they didn’t play golf, in honor or memory of someone,” she said.
“Our board chairman, Harvey Weiss, came and supported the entire event – including with a hole sponsorship – even though he isn’t a golfer himself,” Burns said. “We also had enthusiastic volunteers who helped execute the event. And Turf Valley has a wonderfully responsive and accommodating staff; they are a real pleasure to work with.”
A luncheon greeted the players as they returned from the course. Dr. Michael T. Wood, Capitol’s president, took the podium to thank the event participants for their support and announce the tournament winners.
Also speaking during the luncheon were the two recipients of last year’s golf scholarships, Garrett Baseley and Olin Haramoto.
Baseley, a two-time winner of the scholarship, told attendees that he is currently deciding whether to set his sights on the government or on the private sector after he graduates this coming May – a year early.
An information assurance major, Baseley has also been active on campus, serving as a senior RA in addition to being a Telecommunications Lab assistant and a student employee at Puente Library. He has also held a summer internship at the Defense Intelligence Agency and last year was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor Society.
“I’d like to thank everyone again for providing me with this scholarship – it will be well utilized,” Baseley said.
Olin Haramoto, also a senior, expressed his appreciation to the scholarship donors for their generosity, which he said had enabled him to complete his degree in electrical engineering.
“When I retired from the Air Force in 2010, the job market was struggling and I knew that I needed to retrain in order to compete in the job market,” Haramoto said. “Capitol College has allowed me to grow well beyond my skills as a technician and will let me re-enter the job market with a much better skill set. Thank you again for helping make this possible.”
Among the Capitol students who played in this year's tournament was Keith Hinton. It was his second time at the event. The Turf Valley course, he said, "was challenging but very fun to play."
"Every hole gave you something different to tackle. Some had blind drives, others tight fairways, even some of the putts were interesting. While I learned that I wasn't the best driver, I did meet with success while putting on the greens. It was truly exciting being able to sink a couple birdies for my team," he said.
"The opportunity has truly been exciting and humbling," he said. "The entire experience has left me wanting to play more. I can't wait for next year's tournament!"