The ODU women’s team had
just finished second in the
Maryb S. Kauth Invitational
at San Antonio Country
Club on March 11 when news
began trickling in of the impact
COVID-19 was having on the
sports world.
It was during the trip that Utah
Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive
for the coronavirus, and the NBA
soon announced it was suspending
the season.
“As we’re traveling back from San Antonio
to Norfolk was when the NBA suspended
play. When that happened, I said,
‘We’re done,’” ODU women’s golf coach
Mallory Hetzel said. “I knew at that point
we were done.”
that particular coach if they want to retain
that player on the same amount of aid.
“You have the flexibility as a coach to
say, yes, I’d like to bring back this particular
player on the same amount of aid, or
hey, I want to bring you back but I’ve got
to cut it in half so I can give a part to an
incoming freshman.
“Now for 2020-21, next school year,
the NCAA is allowing teams to go over
their scholarship limit to accommodate
seniors returning and incoming freshmen
joining the program. Now, that is in some
situations, if the school can afford it, you
could have one heck of a team.”
SHOULD I STAY OR GO?
Radford University redshirt senior Peter
Gasperini, a member at Halifax Country
Club, is exploring the possibility of entering
the transfer portal to see if he could
play elsewhere next season with his extra
year of eligibility.
His initial plan was to finish his college
career, play as an amateur during the summer,
and then join the professional ranks
in the fall.
“Everyone you talk to growing up tells
you to stay (in college) as long as you can,”
Gasperini said. “This is a weird opportunity
that presented itself to give me another year
to stay another year and get some different
experiences under my belt.”
Morgan, who transferred to ODU after
two seasons at Division III Virginia Wesleyan,
still has credit hours to complete
toward his undergraduate degree. He
explained some credits did not transfer
“
They’re resilient, as a lot of
people are through this.
“
OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
ELIGIBILITY
Morgan and Burgess each said they took
time to digest the situation and gather
their thoughts.
Their main concern, like it was for
other spring sports athletes, was whether
the NCAA would allow them to gain a
season of eligibility.
Recently, the NCAA ruled all spring
sports athletes are eligible for an extra
year of eligibility because of the lost season.
However, it is up to each individual
institution whether or not the student-athletes
are brought back on full
scholarship, partial scholarship or no
scholarship at all.
“Every spring sport athlete has been
given another year of eligibility. It’s the
NCAA that controls eligibility; it is the
institution, that particular program, that
controls financial aid,” Hetzel explained.
“Everybody is going to have another year,
but it will be up to that particular team,
ODU women’s golf coach
Mallory Hetzel said she
knew when the NBA
suspended play that other
sports would follow.
vsga.org
M AY/J UNE 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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