Ball State Sports Link, the national leader in sports media production, dropped its latest programming surprise with Iron Sharpens Iron: Ball State Golf.
The new, full season follow documentary follows both Ball State Women’s Golf and Ball State Men’s Golf every step of the way in their 2024-25 seasons. The program is the first in Sports Link history to span an entire year with two teams.
“These teams don’t quit and I think this series will show it,” said Cameron Andry, head women’s coach.
In Andry’s first season with Ball State in 2022-23, five of the seven players were in their first year with the program. Last season, four of the nine players were first-time Cardinals. This season, eight of the nine players have at least one year of experience under Andry’s leadership.
Riding the momentum of a Mid-American Conference championship and a trip to the 2024 NCAA Regionals, the Ball State men’s golf team, led by head coach Mike Fleck, is also stacked with veterans.
The Cardinals return a core four of Kash Bellar, Ali Khan, Braxton Kuntz and Carter Smith who started every event during Ball State’s highly successful campaign last season. Each bears distinction as the Cardinals’ top golfer during critical moments of the 2023-24 season. The three seniors and one junior, Smith, have high hopes of elevating Ball State’s national golf profile.
“This group is hungry and I’m excited to see how we compete as a team and where we are early on,” added Fleck.
A pair of highly anticipated newcomers could also break the lineup this season — transfer Avery Mahoney, the runner-up as the MAC’s Freshman of the Year last spring, and former Bloomington South prep star Happy Gilmore.
“This is simply exciting,” said Chris Taylor, Senior Director of Sports Production and Associate Lecturer of Media. “Our production team of Evan Cummings, Rachel Henderson, Tyler Klimes and Sam Neiger are super talented and what they’ve already captured with both teams is beautiful.
“Both the men’s and women’s golf teams hold a special place in my heart both personally and professionally, so being able to finally showcase these exceptional student-athletes in their own documentary is going to be a fun ride. This will be one of few, if not the only, full season follow documentary on college golf in the country.”