Even after unveiling a trophy case for the men’s golf team, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Coach Roger Totten rallied supporters inside the lobby of the H.O. Clemmons Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
His rallying cry: Good things happen when one program comes together.
“Everybody did their part,” Totten said, reflecting on the season that culminated in an HBCU national championship. “I just did my part.”
And teamwork, the former football assistant coach said, is what’s going to help the Lions build off the success of this season.
Although a five-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Totten insisted it wasn’t just him who helped UAPB win the title. A strong lineup in early May helped UAPB build a 32-stroke margin of victory over co-second place Prairie View A&M and North Carolina A&T at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship in Kohler, Wis. The Golden Lions won in their first appearance in the tournament after a second-place finish in the SWAC Championship, an event they had won the two previous years.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
To help mark their success, a vertical, wooden trophy case was unveiled in the middle of the lobby, where it will stay. The case not only includes their crystal trophy from the PGA WORKS but the 2024 SWAC trophy and crystal jugs from a 2023 tournament at Georgia’s TPC Sugarloaf and 2024 event at North Carolina’s Prestonwood Country Club.
UAPB’s Jose Berenguel was the Division I medalist after shooting 7-under 209, while Jules De Reu took fourth at 7-over 223, Juan Melida was tied for sixth at 9-over and Timur Alalin came in 10th at 14-over. Jonathon Baumann’s 22-over placed him 28th.
None of the players were present at the trophy case unveiling.
Totten’s team was equal to the 2023 and 2024 SWAC champions, he said when asked what made this group stand out.
“In the past we had one guy a little bit better, but these guys, 1 through 5, were equal,” Totten said.
The championship was a highlight in what’s been a successful spring sports season for UAPB.
Earlier this month Jordan Pierre took bronze in the 400 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon.
It was a common refrain during the ceremony that UAPB has managed to outperform other HBCUs with fewer resources.
“We talk about DASH, meaning discipline, attitude, sacrifice and hard work,” UAPB Athletic Director Chris Robinson said.
“You see that’s becoming more and more contagious throughout. (Track Coach Christopher) McCoy, he’s the same guy every year, doing more with less. We’re trying to get some things going across the board, being consistent. We’re bringing in new coaches who are bringing in new energy, new excitement across the board. Again, this level is where we want to be, across the board.”
