The Liberty League is celebrating its 25th anniversary during the 2019-2020 academic year. Originally founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) in 1995, the conference was renamed the Liberty League during the summer of 2004. Each Thursday throughout the year, the Liberty League will be celebrating its silver anniversary by recognizing outstanding teams and individuals from its rich 25-year history.
In honor of Division III week, the league recognizes University of Rochester golf standout Stephen Goodridge ’08. The 2006 Co-Liberty League Player of the Year and two-time All-American embodied the Division III student-athlete experience during his career as a Yellowjacket, balancing both athletics and academics.
As a sophomore during the 2005-06 academic year, Goodridge combined academic achievement with athletic excellence. He won the 2006 NCAA Division III individual national championship by scoring 289 over 72 holes to win the event by two strokes. On the same day, he took a final examination in Optics - the first half of the test before the last round of golf, the second half after the last round and the NCAA Championship Banquet.
In an interview compiled by University of Rochester Director of Communications Dennis O’Donnell, Goodridge looks back on his national championship, his experiences as a Division III student-athlete and how he applied those experiences to his life after graduation.
What does it mean after all these years to be a national champion in college?
It still means a lot to me, and it always will. It's something I'll always be proud of, and be able to look back on with fond memories of that whole week.
As a freshman, you medaled three times, finished in the top five five times and the top 10 eight times. What did you and Coach Rich Johnson talk about after the season in terms of preparing for your sophomore year?
I had some summer tournaments that I was going to play in, and I think we just talked about those, and how it was going to be a good lead-in to my second year. There wasn't a specific strategy to go along with preparing for sophomore year…just trying to get better.
The fall season in 2005-06 went pretty well. You were the runnerup three times in the first four events. Did you make any changes in your game – or in your approach to it?
I don't think I made any specific changes. I played better my sophomore year probably because I had been a year of college tournaments under my belt, I felt comfortable with the team and coach, and I was able to balance school and golf well.
And while all of this is going on, you were an Optics major. How were you able to fit golf into that?
I think it's all about making sure I had enough time to get my work done in school so that I wouldn't have too much work to do once I got back from a tournament. We would usually leave Friday morning for a tournament and return Sunday night. It certainly became tougher in junior and senior year when the classwork became more intense. I didn't have as much time to practice during the week, and my golf likely wasn't as good senior year, but it's just one of those things that you have to manage.
You picked up where you left off in the spring: a victory at W&J, tying for first in the Mid-Atlantic Regional and at UAAs. It looks like the only tough round you had was the first round of the Fred B. Kravetz Invitational at Irondequoit CC with an 82. You bounced back with a 74 at Oak Hill the next day.
That tournament always tests your game to the max, as it is played on two very tough courses. It's pretty nice we can say we host a tournament with 2 courses that are some of the toughest that any college team will play.
That gave you about 10 days off before NCAAs at Firethorn GC in Lincoln, Nebraska. What did you and Coach Johnson work on?
I worked briefly with Craig Harmon, the head pro at Oak Hill to try to fine tune some things in my swing. Other than that, I just practiced here and there to stay sharp.
As a freshman, your first round in NCAAs was an 84. A year later, you go to Firethorn as an individual and shoot a 77. Did that round cause any concern?
The first year at NCAAs I think I was just overwhelmed with everything and probably shot a lot worse than what I was capable of. The 77 in the first round the year after was a very up and down round. I played in the afternoon when it was very windy, and on the front nine I had a couple birdies and triple bogey. The rest of the day was a struggle to make pars and 77 wasn't a bad score. I think I was in about 25
th place so it wasn't like I was way behind.
Your game came around in the next two rounds – an even par 71, then a three-under 68. And that round put you in first place in the standings by one stroke. Did you sleep well that night?
No, of course not! But I think the adrenaline kind of carries you through. The 3
rd round 68 really vaulted me up the leaderboard.
On the morning of the fourth round, you had to take an Optics final. Your classmates were taking it at 6 pm and Coach Johnson arranged to get the test from the professor the night before and administer it to you that day. You took the first half of the test, then went to the course to practice before teeing off. How hard was it to concentrate on the test?
It was very difficult. I guess it was not an ideal situation to have to fit a 3 hour test during the day of the final round. In hindsight, I probably should have taken the whole test before the round, but there did not seem to be enough time to do that, as I think I remember leaving for the course around 10 or 11. I remember parts of the first half of the test, but the second half is a complete blank for me now.
And how was the final round? Did you think about the final while you were playing golf?
Once I got to the course and started my round I stopped thinking about the test. I made a birdie on my first hole, and from then on it was all about trying to hit golf shots. Each of the last three rounds, I got off to very good starts. It made the rest of the round seem easier and I think that helped me shoot good scores. Each day I was 1 under after my first few holes, and just stayed around even par for most of those rounds.
Goodridge at the Bermuda Run Country Club, Bermuda Run, North Carolina.
On your 16th hole, you had to sink a 50-foot putt just to save par. Do you remember that?
Yes, I certainly do! That's one of the shots that sticks out the most in my memory. The other guy had just chipped in for birdie from behind the green, and I still had my 50 footer for par. So, it could have been a 2 shot or 3 shot swing, but it only ended up being a 1 shot swing. We went on to tie the last two holes and I won by 2 shots.
And how did it feel to receive three awards at the banquet (First Team All-American, Division III Most Outstanding Performer, Division III Medalist)?
Each award was fantastic to receive. They don't come around very often, so you have to cherish them when they do.
After the banquet, you went back and took the last half of the final. Were you able to concentrate?
At the time, I'm sure I was concentrating, but given all that had happened in the day up to that point, I probably wasn't able to put as much concentration into it as I would a normal test.
What led you to attend the University and pursue optics as a field of study?
During a visit to the campus, we toured around the LLE (Laboratory for Laser Energetics) and I became interested in optics because it just looked like they were doing some amazing things. After taking a few classes, I stuck with it and I'm glad I did.
Which courses did you really enjoy? Which professors stood out in your mind?
I enjoyed the Lens Design classes, optical coatings, and aberrations the most. Some professors that stood out were Professor Alonso, Professor Zavislan, and Professor Knox. I was always impressed with their teaching styles and how enthusiastic they were about optics.
Where has your career path taken you since earning your degree from Rochester in 2008?
I worked for Thorlabs for a year and a half after graduation, designing optical components for their website and catalog. After that, I took a job with Logos Technologies, as an optical engineer. Logos is a defense contractor that produces sensors for wide area motion imagery for various military sectors.
Where have you settled now?
My wife, Elizabeth, and I both graduated from the UR with our Masters degrees in 2009. We have moved several times but currently live in Winston Salem, NC with our two children.
And lastly, was there anything you took away from your national championship experience that helped you after graduation?
Having a strong worth ethic and good time management skills were key to succeeding in college in both golf and academics, and the NCAA experience that year was definitely putting those things to the test. I think I've taken the work ethic and time management skills that I learned, and used them towards other aspects of my like such as work and family balance.
By Dennis O'Donnell, University of Rochester Director of Athletic Communications
25th Anniversary Spotlight Series:
10/24/2019 - 1999 St. Lawrence University Men's Soccer
10/31/2019 - Sara Artus, Clarkson University, Volleyball (2008-2011)
11/7/2019 - Ali Marpet, Hobart College, Football (2011-2015)
11/14/2019 - 1997 William Smith College Field Hockey
11/21/2019 - Grant O'Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cross Country/Track & Field (2015-2019)
11/28/2019 - Andrew Franks, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Football (2011-2015)
12/5/2019 - 2013 William Smith College Women's Soccer
12/12/2019 - John Coleman, Clarkson University, Basketball and Baseball (2011-2015)
12/19/2019 - Nickie Griesemer, Ithaca College, Swimming & Diving (2013-2018)
1/2/2020 - Kelly Donnelly, Skidmore College, Women's Basketball (2014-2018)
1/9/2020 - Richie Bonney, Hobart College, Men's Basketball (2010-2014)
1/16/2020 - Taryn Cordani, Ithaca College, Cross Country/Track & Field (2014-2018)
1/30/2020 - Amr Khalifa, St. Lawrence University, Men's Squash (2012-2016)
2/6/2020 - Cydni Matsuoka, Vassar College, Women's Basketball (2010-2014)
2/13/2020 - Edvinas Rupkus, Skidmore College, Men's Basketball (2015-2019)
2/20/2020 - Kevin Makarowski, Union College, Men's Swimming & Diving (1993-1997)
2/27/2020 - Kyle Bartlett, University of Rochester, Women's Track & Field (2015-2019)
4/9/2020 - Heather Ingraham, Vassar College, Women's Track & Field (2012-2015)