Kent State Golf Camps

Head coach Herb Page bleeds Kent State Blue and Gold. Now in his 31st year as the mentor of the men’s golf team at Kent State University, he continues to develop the legacy of the golf program. Just this past spring, Page guided the Golden Flashes to their highest ever national finish as the team placed sixth at the NCAA National Championship.

A 15-time MAC Coach of the Year honoree, he mentored 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis and Kent State’s first first-team All-American and current PGA tour member in Jon Mills. The Flashes have qualified for NCAA regional competition in 18 of the last 20 seasons and have advanced to the NCAA finals 10 times during that span. In 1993, the Flashes captured their first-ever NCAA Regional title before tying for the title in 2001. In 2000, Page led the Golden Flashes to a ninth place finish at the national championship - the highest in school history before the 2008 season.   All told, in 31 years of coaching, Page has led the Golden Flashes to 64 tournament titles, including 13 MAC championships.

Coach Page has gathered a laundry list of accolades in his lengthy coaching career. In 2005, Page was inducted into the Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame.

Page joined Larry Penley of Clemson University and East Tennessee State University’s Fred Warren as the 2004 inductee class into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame.
 
In summer 2004, Page joined Tom Weiskopf and two others inducted into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame.

Page has been named NCAA District IV Coach of the Year seven times in his career. In addition, he has been selected as the MAC Golf Coach of the Year a total of 15 times.

Throughout the last 13 years Page’s linksters have been ranked consistently among the nation’s top 25 teams. The 1995 squad garnered the highest-ever national ranking of any Kent State team with a seventh-place ranking in late May. The Golden Flashes also achieved a seventh-place ranking in the fall of 1999. In his tenure with the Kent State program, Page has coached 72 All-MAC golfers, 18 All-Americans, including 2008 graduate David Markle, who tied for ninth as an individual at the NCAA Championship.  Additional 16 golfers under the Kent State coaching icon have been selected as All-America Scholar-Athletes.

In August of 2005, Page, along with numerous contributors to the Kent State golf programs, broke ground on the new Kent State Golf Training & Learning Center. Just a little over two years later, on Sept. 15, 2007, the sparkling $2.2 million facility was formally dedicated. A long-time vision of Page’s for the golf programs, the state-of-the-art practice facility will ensure Kent State Golf’s continued success at the highest national level.

In November of 2007, the KSU Board of Trustees formally approved the name of the building as the Ferrara & Page Golf Training & Learning Center in honor of the family of Dr. Emilio Ferrara, who was responsible for the lead gift, and Page.

In 1998, Page received the honor of coaching the U.S. team in the World Junior Championships held in Japan.

As an undergraduate at KSU, he earned eight varsity letters — four in golf and two each in football and ice hockey. He was the golf team’s captain his senior year and the placekicker for two of the most successful grid teams in school history — the 1972 MAC champions and the 1973 team that set a school record with nine victories.  In 1974, Page was named the MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Page was drafted in the fifth round by the British Columbia Lions as a placekicker, although he never played in the Canadian Football League.

For his accomplishments at Kent State, Page was inducted into the Varsity “K” Alumni Association’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. He also was inducted into the Portage County Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1997 Page was given a Special Achievement Award by Kent State University as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern Ohio PGA. Page was also honored by the Dapper Dan Association of Akron with the William Falor Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Markham, Ontario, native also has made a name for himself as a top player and teacher with the Northern Ohio PGA. In his first professional tournament victory more than a decade ago, he shot a one-under-par 71 on the famous Firestone Country Club North Course. Page’s participation in Pro-Am tournaments include a number of impressive performances. At the 1987 Trumbull County Pro-Am, he registered a 67 (three under par), and at that year’s Ohio Open Pro-Am he earned runner-up honors with a six-under-par 66.

The active Page served as chairman of the NCAA District IV Advisory Committee for five years in the late 1980s and served on the committee in the 2000-01 season. Last season he began his third term on the GCAA All-American committee. His first term was from 1988-92 and served as the chairman in 1992. His second term was from 1998-2001 and he served as the chairman in 2001.

Page also spearheads the main Kent State fundraiser — the Rango Invitational, which is held every August. This tournament, along with other gifts, has earned over $1.4 million for the Kent State University golf endowments and the new facility.

Page is married to Dr. Paula Treckel, a history professor at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. They reside in Kent.

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Mike Morrow
Womens Head Coach

Head Coach Mike Morrow’s Kent State University women’s golf team has been nothing short of dominant in its 10 years of existence. When you hear Kent State women’s golf, you think success and tradition. Ten seems to be the lucky number for Morrow. In 10 years, the team has 10 Mid-American Conference titles, Morrow himself has eight MAC Coach of the Year trophies, and eight Golden Flashes have earned MAC medalist honors.

A Kent State alumnus and former All-American for the men’s team, Morrow took the reigns and developed the Kent State women’s program from the ground up in 1997.

Since the 1998-99 inaugural season, the Golden Flashes have experienced tremendous success. In addition to the aforementioned crazy eights aspect, Morrow has coached seven MAC Players of the Year, six Freshmen of the Year and 34 All-MAC honorees, including 24 All-MAC First Team selections.

After guiding Kent State to its first appearance in both the NCAA Central Regional and the NCAA Championships in 2001, Morrow was named the Central Region Coach of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of America, an award he would win again in 2007-08, and the National Coach of the Year by Golfweek magazine. That year, the Golden Flashes finished seventh at the NCAA Regional and a program-best 15th at the NCAA Championships.

Morrow guided Kent State to yet another convincing victory at the MAC Championships in 2007-08, as the Golden Flashes dusted the field by 60 strokes. Morrow coached Tara Delaney to MAC Golfer of the Year honors and Delaney went on to receive All-America honorable mention. As a team, Kent State returned to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2003, after a strong showing at the NCAA Central Regional, where Morrow led KSU to a sixth-place finish. At the NCAA Championships, Morrow mentored Kira Meixner to a tie for 12th place, the top finish ever by a Golden Flash at the national championship.

Morrow was rewarded for Kent State's success when the veteran coach was named the SkyCaddie NGCA Central Region Coach of the Year by the National Golf Coaches Association for the second time in his career.

In addition to his Central Region Coach of the Year honors, Morrow was also tabbed the MAC Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career in 2007-08.

After the successful 07-08 season, Morrow was selected to coach the American team at the 2008 Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships this past July.

Two years ago, Morrow led the Golden Flashes to a win at the MAC Championships, as Kent State took home the title by 13 shots over Ohio in a weather-shortened championship. Morrow mentored Gabby Wedding to her second consecutive MAC Golfer of the Year honor, who led Kent State to its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Central Regional. Three other Golden Flashes joined Wedding on the All-MAC team.

In 2004, the Flashes continued an unprecedented run in MAC Championship history by claiming its sixth-consecutive MAC Championship. The Golden Flashes finished 18 strokes ahead of Western Michigan University. Wedding was named MAC Golfer of the Year while she, Becky Wood and Martina Gillen all took home All-MAC first team honors.

Kent State won the 2002 MAC title by a record 66 strokes. The second-round score of 289 was also a MAC Championships record. Although KSU narrowly missed an NCAA Championships appearance that season, Gillen represented Kent State at the tournament and tied for 13th overall in the nation. She also received All-America honorable mention.

The 2002-03 edition of the Golden Flashes won four tournaments, including its fifth consecutive MAC title and made its second appearance in the NCAA Championships. The 2003 lineup accounted for top-10 finishes in every tournament, with 11 of those being in the top five.

The team was ranked as high as 19th in Golf World’s Women’s Coaches Poll, the Golfweek/Sagarin poll and the NGCA Coaches Poll.

The dominance continued into the fall, as the team carded four top-10 finishes in five attempts. The highlight of the fall was winning the team title in the Shootout at the Legends at the Legends Golf Course in Franklin, Ind.

Morrow’s recruitment efforts have always had a international flair and this year’s squad is no different. Six linksters hail from outside the United States, including Ireland, Canada and England.

Morrow has been head professional and manager of the Kent State University Golf Course since January 1990.

A native of Stow, Morrow was the first All-America golfer in Golden Flash history, earning honorable mention in 1973. He was the Mid-American Conference medalist that year and earned All-MAC honors for three consecutive seasons (1973-75). He was inducted into the Varsity "K" Hall of Fame in 1987, joining the ninth class given that honor.

As a player Morrow recorded 26 PGA section tournament victories from 1978-91.

Morrow earned his bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation from Kent State in 1976. Before returning to his alma mater as golf professional of the Kent State course, he was assistant golf professional at Fairlawn Country Club from 1978-82 and was the head professional at California Golf Course in Cincinnati from 1983-89.

Morrow and his wife Denise have three daughters, Kelly (21), Jamie (20) and Amanda (17). Jamie is a sophomore on the Kent State field hockey team. Morrow and his family reside in Kent.

Associate Head Coach

Kent State Director of Golf Herb Page turned to his alumni files when hiring Rob Wakeling as the Associate Head Coach for men’s and women’s golf in January. A four-year letterwinner for Kent State (1989-93), Wakeling returns to his alma-mater’s storied program in which he helped lead to three NCAA Championship appearances. 

“It gives me great pleasure to have one of our own back on staff,” said Page, now in his 31st year at the helm, “A leader on and off the course, Rob was the model student-athlete as a player. It is a special honor when you can bring someone with his past experiences at Kent State back into the program. We are lucky to gain the services of someone with his ability to teach and instruct the current players.”

A key component during one of the most decorated runs in KSU golf, the two-time All-Mid-American Conference performer guided the Golden Flashes to a pair of MAC championships and a remarkable 16 team titles in his four years. With Wakeling serving as team captain in 1993, the Blue & Gold captured the program’s first ever NCAA regional title with a dominating 13-stroke victory over the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams, Texas and Oklahoma State. In the final round, the All-District IV selection fired a team-low 70 to finish tied for 15th in the tournament. 

Individually, Wakeling earned All-MAC honors in 1992 and 1993 and was a two-time NCAA long drive champion runner-up. He comes to Kent State after spending the past two seasons as head coach of the Stow Walsh Jesuit High School boy’s varsity team, where he led the squad to a pair of district tournament appearances.    

A golf instructor for the past 15 years, the Hudson, Ohio native worked for Macgregor Golf and Top-Flite Ben Hogan Golf prior to joining the coaching ranks at Walsh Jesuit.  A former Ohio Public Links and three-time Summit County Amateur champion, Wakeling played professionally on various mini tours throughout the United States and South Africa after graduating from Kent State with his bachelor’s degree in 1994. 

Wakeling resides in Hudson with his wife, Nikole, and two daughters, Alexis and Mackenzie.

Kent State head women’s golf coach Mike Morrow recently named Carrie Sordel as the Golden Flashes’ assistant coach. The Windermere, Fla., native comes to Kent after helping guide Central Florida to an NCAA East Regional berth last year.

“We are extremely happy to have Carrie join our program,” Morrow said. “Her experience and knowledge of the game should really benefit our student-athletes. Her background of playing in a very good college program, competing on the Futures Tour and coaching at Central Florida should be a tremendous asset to what we’re trying to accomplish at Kent State.”

The former Florida State University standout had a trio of top-25 finishes at the ACC Championship and participated in three NCAA Regionals and two NCAA Championships during her four-year career with the Seminoles. As a senior, Sordel earned All-Region honors when she tied for ninth at the NCAA East Regional.

After earning her degree in statistics from Florida State in December of 2004, Sordel spent a year as a professional on the Duramed Futures Tour. Following that season, she returned to school as a graduate assistant and earned her master’s degree in sport and leisure commerce from the University of Memphis.

While at Memphis, Sordel completed an internship in the Tigers’ athletic department working with the compliance and life skills departments. Upon the completion of her masters, she spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant coach at Central Florida.