Joe Schoolmeesters '09 had a pretty good idea about the level of talent the Saint John's University golf team was assembling in the latter half of the 21st century's first decade.
And the Litchfield High School graduate wanted to be part of it too.
"That's the reason I went to Saint John's," he recalls. "The class in front of me were all golfers I knew and had competed against in high school. It seemed like all the biggest names I knew were going there.
"So I knew the future was going to be bright."
Becoming the best in the nation
Schoolmeesters – who finished second at the Minnesota Class 2A state meet as a junior – was a big name himself. And – thanks in no small part to his own efforts – his premonition about the future would prove spot on.
He ended up becoming the only Johnnie to earn medalist honors at the MIAC meet twice – as a sophomore in 2006 and as a senior in 2008. Sandwiched in between was a second-place finish (by only two shots) as a junior in 2007.
He earned All-America honors twice and was a four-time All-Region honoree.
But more importantly than all that, he played a key role in leading Saint John's to NCAA Division III titles in 2007 (
left) and 2008 (
below right) – the only two team national championships outside of football in school history.
And, in fact, it was the faces of Schoolmeesters and his teammates who replaced the image of the legendary Blake Elliott '03 and the rest of the 2003 Division III national champion football team on the billboard that stood for a long time near the Collegeville exit on Interstate 94.
"That was definitely a point-of-pride," Schoolmeesters said. "Everybody who goes to Saint John's loves the football team. That's the sport the school is best known for and everyone is proud of that.
"But, at the same time, there's always been kind of a friendly rivalry with the other sports there. And we wanted to prove to everyone that we played pretty good golf at Saint John's too."
As good as they come
Schoolmeesters certainly played as well as any of the talented golfers who have come through the program in the two decades since it first emerged as a national power.
"When Schooly came to visit, we talked about the future," SJU head coach
Bob Alpers '82 said. "And I promised him that with the guys we already had, and that would be coming in, we'd surround him with guys that would help us compete for a national championship.
"He looked at me and said 'Not compete, Coach, we'll win.' I said 'I know we can win a championship. 'Joe said 'No, Coach, championships.'
"The only thing bigger than his accomplishments was always his heart. Joe was a fierce competitor, a great leader and a great teammate."
Alpers also remembers his school spirit away from the golf course – complete with a few heart-stopping moments for his head coach.
"I was still coaching basketball then, and Schooly would grab a big SJU flag and sprint around the court to fire the crowd up," he said. "He tripped over some carpet and I swear I almost passed out until he got up."
But looking back, it's those national championships that Schoolmeesters remembers most.
"The national titles mean the most without a doubt," he said. "And those teams were close-knit. We were all pretty good friends who hung out together on the golf course and off it. We all had the same goals, and I think that's a big part of why we won two national championships together."
