Miles above the rest
Every sport needs a spokesperson. Miles Christensen, sophomore golfer, is the college’s representative. Miles started his sports career playing baseball but when his father picked up golf, he was not far behind.
“I saw how much he enjoyed it,” Miles said. “I started playing with him…and decided baseball wasn’t my thing.” To Miles, baseball relied too much on the team and he decided golf was a way to test how good he was as an individual.
“It was all on me whether I was good or not,” Miles said. “My success was based on how much time I wanted to put in.” His first competitive golf action started his freshman year of high school and was a struggle at first. It was not until the end of his sophomore year, Miles said, when he started getting a good feel for the game.
In his freshman year at the college, Miles placed in the top 10 in five tournaments including an eighth place finish at the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Championship. His coaches saw his potential right from the start. “He could play,” said Lafayette Norwood, head coach, “but he didn’t know how good he could be.”
During the fall semester of 2008, Miles finished in the top 10 of every tournament he played in. So far this spring, Miles has a 12th place and a first place finish. “It was nice starting out the season kind of quick,” Miles said. “It was just nice knowing I could [compete].”
Miles won his first collegiate tournament in March at the Kansas City Kansas Conference Designated Tournament. Despite the horrible wind and chill, he had confidence in his abilities. “All week I just knew [since] I grind harder than anyone in the conference,” Miles said, “this would be my tournament to potentially win.”
Currently, Miles is ranked second in the individual conference standings with 42.5 points. The leader has 45.75. Through all his success, Miles has learned many lessons for life such as discipline and family connections by playing golf together.
Norwood has high hopes for his player’s development. “I see him maintaining and utilizing his skill in golf to create a better person not only around him and his family,” Norwood said, “but those he [encounters] and influences. That’s very important” Norwood added that Miles will take the success he has earned and live a happier and more productive life.
Miles plans on continuing his college education at Washburn University studying radiology, a subject his mother suggested. “I figured if I’m going to be in school, might as well go find something that’s going to pay well,” Miles said.
Despite all the individual accomplishments, Miles impacts more than just the golf team. His work ethic, demeanor and talented play make him a great ambassador for the sport and for the college, Norwood said. “I think we at Johnson County [Community College],” Norwood said, “Are the benefactors more than he has benefited from the school.”