Going away to college for the first time is difficult, but when you have to juggle golf tournaments and practices along with your academics the pressures magnify.

Freshman Dirk Ayers, of the men's golf team, however, has taken it all in stride and has made an instant impact this season. The Lions hope he can continue to make an impact when they compete at the James Madison Invitational in Hot Springs, Va., this weekend.

"Ayers plays like he's a junior," senior Jason Tyska said.

Ayers is one of only three players to compete in every tournament, and he has proved to be one of the most consistent players during the fall campaign.

And after a very strong debut at Seton Hall -- finishing second overall-- Ayers realized what it would take to win in the Big Ten.

"There was some stiff competition, with a lot of tough players, but now we know what it is like," Ayers said.

However, playing against the better competition was not the only adjustment that the team had to make.

Heading into the fall season there was no head coach and three major contributors from the previous season had graduated.

In late August Greg Nye was named coach and after the first tournament at Seton Hall many doubts about the two freshmen were erased.

"They really sent a message to me because I really didn't know how good they were," Tyska said about Ayers and fellow freshman Mike Banzhoff."

Tyska felt playing against the Big Ten lead to Ayers' maturing process. He felt that Ayers was in awe a little bit but, "has showed tremendous maturity for a freshman."

That maturity may someday prove to make Ayers, as Tyska said, "a stalwart here for a long time."