Led by an experienced group of golfers and with 10-year Head Coach Art Salvesen at the helm, the University of Redlands men’s squad finished among the top 10 for the sixth time in seven years, claiming ninth at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships.

The season started out at the Cougar Invitational where Redlands took seventh overall. Against a field comprised of NCAA Division II and NAIA squads, the Maroon and Gray held its own, besting the likes of UC San Diego, Cal State Dominguez Hills and The Master’s College. Sophomore Scott Peña (Encinitas, CA) posted a team-low 154 (+10) on the event, turning in scores of 78 and 76, respectively, to wind up in a tie for 25th place.

Just one week later, the Bulldogs provided a noteworthy performance at the first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) 18-hole tournament. Senior E.J. Stenftenagel (Indian Wells, CA) led the Bulldogs with his second-place round of 71, while junior Ross Canavan (Redlands, CA) and senior J.C. Riter (Portland, OR) posted top-five finishes to help the team come in second overall.

Against another competitive field, the Redlands contingent of Peña, Canavan, Riter and Stenftenagel combined for a 12th-place showing at the Elco Inc.-Cal State Bakersfield Invitational, finishing behind just one NCAA Division III team.

Canavan produced quality results at the Point Loma/Smee Builders Invitational, using a 70 in round two to occupy a share of ninth at the 36-hole event that featured various NAIA and Division II opponents. As a team, Redlands downed Cal Baptist University, The Master’s College, Cal State San Marcos, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Trevecca Nazarene University (TN) and Biola University to end up in ninth place.

The Bulldogs tied for third and second at the next two SCIAC tournaments, before taking second in an 11-team field at the CLU Kingsmen Invitational. Both Canavan and Stenftenagel aided in the team’s ascent, finishing up third and fifth, respectively. Canavan’s third-round score of 73 proved to be the best of the final round and was the third-best mark of the tournament.

At the West Region Invitational, the Maroon and Gray battled toe-to-toe with the University of Texas at Tyler and relied on a second-day total of 301 to push past the Patriots for second place. The SCIAC dominated the premiere event that featured the best from the West with the University of La Verne and Redlands taking first and second, respectively.

After struggling at the SCIAC 18-hole No. 4, the team bounced back with an incredible performance at the final conference 18-hole tournament held on their home course at Redlands Country Club. The Bulldogs tied Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for first place with Canavan sharing medalist honors with La Verne’s Kevin Smith after defending his home turf with a 2-under 68.

Entering the SCIAC 36-hole Championships, Redlands’ hopes for one of two at-large berths into the NCAA Championships was on the line as the squad sat in third place behind Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and La Verne. A 285 score on the first day set the Bulldogs up for a dramatic finish against Occidental College as the Maroon and Gray edged the Tigers by just one stroke. Both Canavan and sophomore Alex Hedlund (Arlington, WA) carded scores under par and finished in third and fourth, respectively. As the Stags failed to earn a top-three stroke total, Redlands solidified its spot as the second-place team in the SCIAC.

With the regular season already under their belt, the Bulldogs looked to extend their 2009 campaign at the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in nine years. Due to the team’s consistency and success throughout the year, the selection committee granted the Maroon and Gray an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, giving Redlands an opportunity to continue its rampant success at the postseason tournament. Heading into the championship event, the team had finished as runners-up four out of the past five seasons.

Canavan, Hedlund, Riter, Peña and sophomore Todd Steller (Poway, CA) flew eastward to the PGA Golf Village in Port St. Lucie, FL, which served as the site of the four-day event. Competing in a new format that featured half the field on one course and half on another, the Bulldogs challenged the Ryder Course on the first day. Hedlund made his mark early, shooting 2 under on the back nine to finish round one with a sixth-place score of 70. Redlands, which had completed day one in 11th place, shot up to seventh after the second round on the Dye Course due in part to Hedlund’s solid score of 74. A rough third day from each of the five Bulldog golfers dropped the Maroon and Gray to 11th place, but the team salvaged the outing with an impressive final round. Canavan, who had been outside of the top 20 throughout the tournament, blasted a 2-under 70 in the finale to finish in a tie for 15th individually while helping the team place ninth overall.

Following his success in 2009, Canavan received PING Second-Team All-America honors, adding to his First-Team nod in 2008. Canavan also earned recognition on the First-Team All-SCIAC, while Riter and Hedlund received Second-Team All-SCIAC laurels.

Both Riter and Stenftenagel exuded athletic and academic excellence, and as a result of their success both in and out of the classroom, they were named as Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars.

The team received respect from NCAA Division III coaches as Redlands hovered around the top 10 all season in the Golf World/Nike Golf Top-25 poll and garnered a ranking as high as No. 9 in NCAA Division III.

Canavan, now a two-time All-American, looks to help lead the team next year. With a roster replete with golfers who have national championship experience, the Bulldogs will once again expect to chase the coveted SCIAC trophy as well as eye a bid to the NCAA tournament once again.