Indiana University Athletics
Overton an Ace in the Classroom
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Throw in a semifinal appearance at the U.S. Amateur, two straight Indiana State Amateur titles and a trip to Japan as a member of the victorious Team USA at the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Cup, and you have quite a resume.
A resume so loaded with accolades and achievements that few players could accomplish these feats in their entire collegiate careers. But for Indiana senior men's golfer Jeff Overton, he has done all of this in one-and-a-half years. Dominating the links like no one before him at IU, moving himself into the top tier, if not the very top, of collegiate and amateur golf.
To approach this level of spectacular play, it would seem one would have to focus on golf 100 percent, with little time for anything else. Not for Overton. The Evansville, Ind., native has been able to balance his time on the golf course and in the classroom, where he also has compiled an impressive resume.
How does one succeed academically when he is traveling for a good portion of the academic year? How does one hit the books, knowing an opportunity to do the ultimate in golf, play on the PGA Tour, might be right around the corner? For Overton, it wasn't always easy, but he now has a handle on everything.
"It has been tough to maintain a high academic level," said Overton. "You have to really manage your time well. It was difficult for me my freshman year, but I started to get the hang of it as a sophomore, and the last two years it has not been that difficult."
Showing how he has mastered time management, look no further than the 2004 fall semester. While Overton was winning his sixth individual title, shooting the second-lowest round in NCAA history (a 61 in the final round of the Xavier Invitational) and dropping his school-record career scoring average to 72.00, he also garnered recognition as an Alpha Beta for the fifth straight semester. The honor is bestowed to student-athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Additionally, he has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors the last two years (the only two years he has been eligible for the award).
Maintaining his balance in life has helped Overton stay on track in school. He is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in recreational sport management, and he understands the significance of an IU diploma.
"It is big time. Indiana is a big-time school," said Overton. "Everyone looks at Indiana as a great academic institution. I will take everything I learned at IU with me as I move on in life."
The man overseeing the maturation of Overton is head coach Mike Mayer. Mayer, in his seventh season at the helm of Indiana golf, is amazed by what his senior can do on the golf course, but is equally astonished at the work Jeff does off the course.
"Jeff continues to prove to everybody he is capable of handling any challenge that comes his way," said Mayer. "For somebody who is an All-American and is one of the best golfers in the country to be able to handle that, plus the academic end of it, is really remarkable. He is truly a special young man."
With warm weather on the horizon, Overton is ready to bring the Hoosiers to their second straight NCAA tournament berth and hopefully, a trip to the NCAA championships. As he continues to reach new heights and shatter the Indiana record book on the links, there is no doubt he will take the same approach into the classroom.
