A Promise Fulfilled
A Promise Fulfilled
2025 College Disc Golf National Championship - Day 2 Recap
Jesse Longenecker is a 1020-rated, 19-year-old who is one-for-one on cashing at the PDGA Professional World Championships.
But to the Eastern Mennonite University freshman who has competed in 76 tournaments with $11,947 in career earnings, College Disc Golf is different.
Jesse started playing disc golf with his older brother Nathan during COVID and they both “really got into it.”
Nathan had started competing in College Disc Golf events as a freshman, before he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He tragically passed away eight months later. Disc golf remained a family activity as dad would drive, mom would pack lunches, and Jesse started excelling.
“Nathan was playing College Disc Golf and was excited about it,” Jesse said. “College Disc Golf has always been something that I thought about differently in my head than any other type of disc golf because he was excited, even though we both play normal, individual tournaments as well.
“I felt like I made some kind of promise to myself when he passed away that I was going to play College Disc Golf.’’
The Longenecker family poses for a photo with Calvin Heimburg at the 2021 Delaware Disc Golf Challenge.
Longenecker and his team quickly qualified for the 2025 College Disc Golf National Championship, earning his spot to compete at the famed Winthrop course in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
“Playing Winthrop is surreal,” he said. “There are so many iconic shots out here. The hay bales on USDGC 17, which is hole 14 for us this weekend, and the next one after that and the next one after that — there’s just so much history.
“I’ve been watching these holes since I was 14.”
When he got his first chance to play those holes — the hay bales, the beach, the triple mando, the OB, the lake — Jesse went off with a 9-under, 1067-rated opening round of the Division I Singles event on the modified Winthrop track.
With a Final 9 to go between him and a national title, it wasn’t easy — his lead disappeared after a surge from Redeemer’s Kalan Schat — but Longenecker showed his poise, skill, and took an approach to the round like an experienced professional.
He played it safe when he had to and settled for par. He pounced when the opportunity arose, like running a deep birdie putt with two holes to go when his closest competitor had gone OB.
“I had a little cushion, but I knew that they were definitely within reach, especially here, so I was just going to play my game,” Longenecker said. “I played it a little different — I changed up a few shots as the round went on based off what they were doing. Played a few holes safe, holes that I had birdied in the first round.”
A celebration with teammates and a hug with mom.
It all culminated with a three-throw win and a promise to himself fulfilled, one celebrated with teammates, friends, and, as it has been since his beginning of his disc golf journey, his family.
College Disc Golf is different for Jesse Longenecker.
“It just feels so good to be here, to be able to do this,” he said. “I just wish Nathan could have had the same experience.”
AROUND ROCK HILL
Division I Singles First and Second Team All-Americans
DII Singles National Champion: Mississippi State's Jake Heinze
DIII Singles National Champion: Penn State's Alex Ferry
Mississippi State’s Jake Heinze was the only player in the field to go bogey-free at Camp Canaan Gold on Thursday to win the DII Singles title. Penn State’s Alex Ferry dropped a 1004-rated round at Winthrop Meadows for a one-stroke win in DIII.
With the scores from Wednesday’s singles action factored in, the team leaderboard in Mixed and Women’s Division I began to take shape.
Cincinnati torched Winthrop Lakefront to the tune of 15-under par to jump four spots into solo first place, three ahead of the defending DI champions, UNC-Charlotte.
UNC is at 10-under, four throws back and Georgia Tech and Emporia state are tied for fourth as action now shifts to the woods of Camp Canaan.
In Women’s action, Liberty’s Cami Lazo and Grace Wilson went bogey-free at Westminster Temp for a 10-under round to grab a four-throw lead over Emporia State’s Madeline Joiner and Atlanta Krueger. Clemson and Milligan are third and fourth, respectively, as the division heads back to Winthrop Meadows.
PDGA Live Scoring
Team Standings & Scores
Singles Standings & Scores
Video Coverage
Ace Run Productions YouTube
Gatekeeper Media
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