http://miac-online.org/news/2011/10/28/MGOLF_1028110400.aspx
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. -- Recruiting is far from an exact science. While many highly recruited student-athletes go on to successful collegiate careers, sometimes the best players end up being the ones a coach didn't recruit. Or, in the case of Tony Krogen of Saint John’s University, one that no coach recruited.
Krogen, who had
solid high school golf career, went from un-recruited to the
pinnacle of success, twice winning the coveted MIAC Men's Golf
Player-of-the-Year award.
Despite qualifying
for the State Meet three times in high school, the Marshall, Minn.,
native never lit up the recruiting radar. “No one recruited
me when I was golfing in high school,” he said.
Krogen knew Chad Michelson, a fellow graduate of Marshall High, who played for Saint John’s before graduating in 2006. “I knew him from summer golfing in the Marshall area,” said Krogen. “He suggested I check SJU out. In September of my senior year, I visited Saint John’s, taking in a football game, checking out the campus and learning more about the school. That was when I met Bob [Alpers, the Johnnie golf coach] for the first time.”
He was impressed with the campus and the educational opportunities
SJU offered. He also met some of the guys on the Johnnie golf team.
“They seemed to be a group of guys like me - from small-town
Minnesota,” Krogen said. “I felt I’d fit right
in. The whole campus had a small community feeling to it, which I
liked.”
College
success story
His freshman season,
Krogen played primarily on the Johnnies’ JV, but saw action
in three meets with the varsity, Krogen exploded onto the
collegiate golf scene his sophomore year, winning medalist honors
at the MIAC Championship Meet by six strokes, becoming the eighth
golfer in SJU history to win the league title. His score helped
Saint John’s capture its second-consecutive conference crown.
His 54-hole total of 213 is the best composite score in the six
years the MIAC has used 54 holes. Krogen earned All-MIAC honors as
well.
That spring, Krogen continued is solid play, wrapping up Third Team All-American honors as well as MIAC Men's Golf Player-of-the-Year honors. He finished in a tie for 48th at the NCAA Division III Championship, helping SJU to a fourth-place finish in team competition.
Last year, Krogen paced the Johnnies by shooting a three-day total
of 221 to place third at the MIAC Championship. That garnered him
All-MIAC honors and helped SJU to its sixth conference title in
seven seasons. A week later, he placed fourth at the prestigious
Grodin Classic. Then in the spring, Krogen placed 26th at the NCAA
Meet, as Saint John’s brought home a third-place finish.
This fall, SJU
captured third place at the MIAC Championship, and Krogen finished
in a tie for 12th place, narrowly missing automatic All-Conference
honors, which go to the Top 10 individual finishers at the
conference tournament. The Johnnies are currently ranked third in
the nation, and are hopeful they will receive one of the at-large
berths in the NCAA Championship this spring.
“Tony is
such a kind soul, he’s an awesome guy,” sad his coach,
Bob Alpers. “Tony is one of the greatest guys to ever play
for us, and he’s one of our all-time greats on and off the
course. His positive attitude is infectious, and he has been a real
joy to spend time with. Tony has been a terrific player for us, and
he has worked hard to become one of the top players in the
country."
Amateur
adventure
This past summer, Krogen was one of 312 golfers to qualify for the
U.S. Amateur Championships, one of the nation’s premier golf
events. “Just to get into the qualifier, you must have a
handicap of two at the most,” Krogen explained. “There
were 70 golfers in the field at the qualifier I played in and only
the top three went on to the National.”
Krogen was the medalist at the qualifier held at Burl Oaks Golf
Club in Minnetrista, Minn, shooting a 139 (68-71) to lock up a spot
at the U.S. Amateur, which was held August 22-28 at Erin Hills Golf
Course, outside of Milwaukee. “I played a practice round with
Tom Lewis, who had been leading the British Open after the first
round of play,” he said.
He shot an opening day 77 and followed with a 75 on the second day, for a two-day total of 152, placing him in a tie for 247th place. While only the top 64 advanced to the match play portion of the event, Krogen was happy with his performance. “There were some very, very good players there,” he noted.”I definitely will try it again, not just in 2012 but over the rest of my life.”
Looking
back
“Golf has always
been my main sport,” Krogen confided.
He was a six-time
letter winner in high school, as he began playing on the varsity as
a seventh-grader. He was a four-time All-Conference honoree,
helping Marshall to five conference championships. Krogen qualified
for the State Meet three times, and in his senior year he helped
lead the Tigers to a sixth-place finish. Individually, Krogen
finished sixth.
In addition to the
high school team, Krogen participated in the Minnesota Junior PGA
each summer before he enrolled at SJU. “They offer a number
of tourneys over the course of the summer,” he explained.
“My final, season I did fairly well, winning one tourney and
placing fifth overall.”
Krogen also played
hockey for MHS, and was one of the top ten scorers in the state his
senior year. Some of his fondest memories in hockey include playing
with his older brother, Cory. “He was the better hockey
player,” Krogen said. “Cory played for Hamline,
graduating from there in 2010.”
Looking
ahead
Krogen is a Business
Management major and will graduate this May. “I am looking at
various entry-level positions in different aspects of
business,” he said. “I am looking at sales and
marketing ideas, maybe something involving golf. I am making some
contacts through the network of Johnnie alums.”
The things that
appealed most to Krogen about Saint John’s four years ago are
the things he values most about his experiences behind the Pine
Curtain. “For me, SJU has been about the people I’ve
met and the experience I’ve had,” he said.
“I’ve gotten a good education and like the care and
sense of community here. Everyone looks out for everyone
else.”
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