Rod Lemoine has seen many things during his four year stint as a Colonel golf team member, but none were as sweet as a the team’s first tournament victory earlier this year. Lemoine, who was the only senior on the Colonel roster, qualified and played in every tournament since arriving on the campus of Nicholls.

“It’s a good physical accomplishment, because you have to qualify for every tournament, which is tough to do in college golf,” Lemoine said.

One accomplishment Lemoine has had the personal satisfaction of seeing was the team’s overall improvement during his tenure.

“The team improved since I’ve been here, so I think that was a big deal,” Lemoine said. “When I first came here, we had an average team, but now we go out to tournaments and really compete.”

Lemoine was a member of the Colonels’ only team that took first place at an NCAA Division I tournament.

Lemoine was one of the team’s main contributors in the victory, as he shot a college personal best 72 en route to a seventh place finish.

“Most of what we have done this past year has been because of Rod,” close friend and fellow teammate Sammy Weber, said.

Lemoine began to contribute to the team as early as his freshman year.

“Coming in here, coach (Tic) Tatum gave me an opportunity to play right away,” Lemoine said. “I was just glad I was presented with a chance to play early.”

A goal for Lemoine at Nicholls was to just win, which was something his high school in St. Francisville was not accustomed to.

“When I arrived, I just wanted to be on a team that could win,” Lemoine said. “My high school team wasn’t up to standards, so it was nice to win a tournament here at Nicholls before I graduated.”

Lemoine said he enjoyed playing in the golf program under coach James Schilling at Nicholls.

“Coach did a good job bringing in people to get the program where it’s at,” Lemoine said. “I am just glad that I was a part of it.

“In college, everybody on the team can play,” Lemoine added.

As the team’s only senior, Lemoine took it upon himself to be more of a role-model for the team.

“I tried to stay positive and lead by example,” Lemoine said. “It’s the little things like going to class everyday or always going to practice that makes the team just better to be around.”

Lemoine was also open to his fellow players for any questions they might have had.

“I tried to be there for the team,” Lemoine said. “If they needed any help with anything, I know they could come to me.”

Lemoine, who is a health and physical education major, plans to go into coaching, and will help coach both the men and women’s golf teams next fall.

During his off-time, Lemoine likes play basketball with his friends or his fellow teammates.

Lemoine has also kicked around the thought of playing golf after college.

“Rod can play golf after college, because he has the hard work and determination it takes to succeed in anything he puts his mind towards,” Weber said.