Ever wanted to be known as the best? For Ichabod golfer Matt Ewald, it’s a reality. He is ranked as the No. 1 golfer in NCAA Division II golf by the latest Golfstat national rankings.

“It’s something that it’s nice to have but once you get there you can’t just be happy with it,” said Ewald, senior, who was named MIAA golfer for the second consecutive week. “You got to work your butt off. One tournament round and all of that can be gone. I’m not going to think about it a lot. I’m just going to go out there and keep doing what I’ve been doing. Relax and most of all just having fun.”

Ewald hasn’t finished below fifth in any of the seven tournaments the Ichabods have played in this season, and he has earned one first place finish in the 48th SoCal Intercollegiate Championship.

Matt Lazzo, in his third year at Washburn after transferring from Wichita State, enjoys having a leader like Ewald at Washburn.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Lazzo, junior. “He always plays consistent and it’s good to have him on the team.”

His adjusted scoring average on the season is 71.24, while his overall head-to-head record against individual competition is 678-6. Ewald is also ranked 15th among all NCAA golfers from Division I to Division III.

Ewald and the Bods had a week off in between tournaments and got a chance to take it easy this last week.

“We just took the week a little more lightly as far as going out and grinding and practicing,” said Ewald. “We kind of had a relax week where we had a little freedom to do what we wanted individually.”

The Ichabods will look to win their first tournament beginning today at the North Alabama Spring Classic in Muscle Shoals, Ala. The two-day tournament is Washburn’s first action since its 5th place finish at The Otter Invitational in Seaside, Calif.

“We’re expecting to play good,” said Lazzo. “We haven’t really played well in the spring with the exception of Ewald. We’re going down there expecting to win.”

The Bods will play a sixth man in the tournament today with junior Nate Sargent. They normally take five, but Ewald said they’re trying to get the team going and make it as competitive as possible.

The Ichabod golf season has just a few weeks left as next Monday they will travel to Edmond, Okla., to compete in the UCO/Kickingbird Classic. The following week, April 13-14, the Washburn golf team will hold the Ichabod Invitational at the Topeka Country Club, their first home tournament in two years.

The MIAA Tournament is April 20-21, in Kansas City, Mo.

“We’ve had a good team this year,” said Ewald. “We’ve just struggled to define where we’re at in tournaments. We’ve got the team, we’ve got the talent. We just haven’t been able to put it all together at the right time.”