Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 DECEMBER 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE T here's a reason why Notre Dame junior Jacob Modleski has enjoyed so much success and already made so many memories as one of the best golf- ers in Fighting Irish history. It's because instead of sweating the small stuff, the Noblesville, Ind., native stays in the now and gets the most out what's in front of him. A two-time Indiana state champion out of Guerin Catholic High School in 2022 and 2023 — and ranked as the No. 26 player in the country from the 2023 recruiting class — Modleski could've have played his collegiate golf about anywhere, most notably, somewhere warmer than Notre Dame. Instead, Modleski embraces South Bend's seasonal weather and uses each offseason to clear his head and improve his game, rather than playing in tour- naments year-round and non-stop like many of his collegiate competitors from milder climates do. "I actually think that if you use the offseason wisely when it's cold, it can be very beneficial," said Modleski, who was recently named to the final 25-member watch list for the 2025 Haskins Award, an honor given each fall to the top male U.S. collegiate golfer. "It gives you a lot of time to work on one or two things that you want to improve on in the off- season. And for a few months, you don't have to focus so much on how the work is translating on the course. It gives you a chance to reset as well." Rated No. 16 last week on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, this big-hit- ting 20-year-old is already logging mo- ments and memories that most golfers couldn't even dream about. The individual 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference champion, a U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist in 2024 and 2025, and a 2025 Walker Cup team member (ama- teur golf's equivalent to the Ryder Cup), Modleski even made his PGA Tour debut last November at the 2024 RSM Classic at St. Simons Island, Ga. "It was awesome, but I didn't play my best golf that week," said Modleski, who shot 77-73 (+8) and missed the cut. "But I was still able to take a lot away from the experience and know what it feels like playing in those types of events." Modleski said he will put any profes- sional pursuits on hold for another year and plans to return to Notre Dame as a senior in 2026-27 before embarking on his next golf chapter. With a solid final collegiate season, Modleski could play his way into a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour Americas, or the actual PGA Tour. "If you get a chance at any of those, you take it and run with it," explained Modleski, who as an Irish sophomore last season averaged 68.5 strokes per round, a Notre Dame program record. "Or you'll be in the same boat as ev- erybody else and have to try and qualify for all of your tournaments until you make it." A business analytics major, Modleski is set up well for wherever life takes him, with or without professional golf. But for now, "I love it here at Notre Dame," he said. "As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew this was where I wanted to go to school. The cold doesn't bother me." ✦ Low Scores And High Goals Define Jacob Modleski N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Modleski, who is ranked as the No. 16 amateur golfer in the world, won the ACC title and averaged a program-record 68.5 shots per round as a sopho- more last season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY The No. 5-ranked women's team placed seventh at the NCAA Championship Nov. 22 on the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., while the No. 13 men's squad finished 13th … The women were in the top 10 as a team throughout the race and compiled a team score of 278 … Sophomore Mary Bonner Dalton finished 10th individually with a personal-record time of 18:58.0 to earn All-America honors while pacing the Irish … Redshirt freshman Amaya Aramini posted a career-best time of 19:12.8 to finish 25th and join Bonner as an All-America honoree … The men notched a team score of 459 and were led by redshirt junior Ethan Coleman, who set a personal-record time of 28:58.8 to finish 28th and earn All-America honors. HOCKEY (3-8-1 OVERALL, 0-6-0 BIG TEN) Was off the weekend of Nov. 21-22 … Played at Merrimack Nov. 26 and at Boston College Nov. 28 during Thanksgiving week. MEN'S SOCCER (9-7-4 OVERALL, 3-3-2 ACC) Went toe-to-toe with No. 14 national seed Akron on the road in the second round of the NCAA Tour- nament Nov. 23, but were defeated by a score of 1-0 after the Zips scored a goal in the 88th minute. SWIMMING & DIVING (MEN AND WOMEN: 1-3 OVERALL, 0-1 ACC) Both the men and the women placed first at the Miami (Ohio) Fall Invitational Nov. 20-22 at Oxford, Ohio … The women won 11 events and posted a final score of 1,628, while the men won 12 events and posted a final score of 1,778. VOLLEYBALL (10-16 OVERALL, 7-11 ACC) Notched a 3-2 victory at Clemson Nov. 21, but lost 3-1 at Georgia Tech Nov. 23.