Golfweek

By DAN MIROCHA
Assistant Editor

Everyone on the men’s and women’s golf teams at Northern Illinois is safe following a deadly shooting on campus Thursday.

“They’ve been pretty shaken up,” women’s coach Pam Tyska said. “No young person should have to face their mortality in a situation like that.”

Former NIU student Stephen Kazmierczak, 27, killed five people and wounded 16 others in a lecture hall on campus Thursday before killing himself. Tyska said a couple of her players were on campus during the time of the shooting. Within an hour of the attack, she and assistant coach Jen Clark were able to reach all of the players, although cell phone service was tied up for a time.

“At first you’re just running on adrenaline, just checking everyone off the list of who’s all right,” Tyska said. “Then you’re down to the last three that no one has talked to. Every single call that comes in and every single text that comes in, we were just hoping. Finally, we got word that everybody was safe and sound.”

Tyska said a player on her team was a high school classmate of one of the students who was shot to death. Tyska wouldn’t release the player’s name.

Men’s coach John Cleary said he was able to contact his players within 15 minutes of the shooting and that none were on campus during the time. The Huskies men’s team was scheduled to go to Naples, Fla., Friday morning for an unofficial tri-match before their first spring event Feb. 25 in Hilton Head, S.C., but the trip was canceled.

“Most were just in shock that it could happen here,” Cleary said. “A missed 3-footer isn’t going to mean as much as it once did.”

Tyska said the women’s team still plans on traveling to Sebring, Fla., on March 6 for their second spring event.

“Golf is now on the back burner to the students’ welfare,” Tyska said.

“I told them that their lives are going to be different. Their college experience is going to be different, their memories of the good ‘ol days. What hasn’t changed is that there will still be good times ahead.”

• • •

Dan Mirocha is a Golfweek assistant editor. To reach him email dmirocha@golfweek.com.





Posted: 2/15/2008

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