DADE CITY, Fla. – The Valdosta State men's golf team fired a final round 296 and finished fourth of 12 teams at the Saint Leo Invitational at the par 72, 7,153-yard Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club course Tuesday with a 54-hole score of 877.
VSU shot rounds of 289-292-296 for an 877 score and moved up one spot from fifth after the first two rounds Monday. No. 16 and host Saint Leo carded a final round 294 to edge Keiser University, who is No. 2 in NAIA, by one stroke (867-868). Nova Southeastern finished third with an 871 score, dropping two spots, while VSU edged Gulf South Conference member and No. 7-ranked Lee by one stroke for fourth (877-878).
No. 37 Central Oklahoma finished sixth with an 890 score, followed by Palm Beach Atlantic (900) and Tampa was eighth with a 904 score. Division I Monmouth University was ninth at 905, followed by Eckerd at 912, while Division I Bethune-Cookman was 11
th at 933 and Wilmington (Del.) was 12
th at 965.
Individually, Nova Southeastern's Tomas Millet took home medalist honors as he carded an 8-under 208, edging Saint Leo's Albert Castagnara by one stroke (209). Bethune-Cookman's Marcus Sundlof finished third with a 211 score, while Keiser duo of Carl Didrick M. Fosaas (4-under, 212) and Wihelm Ahlgren (2-under, 214) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Ahlgren aced No. 14 on Tuesday for the only hole-in-one for the tournament.
VSU junior
AJ Ouimet carded a final round 69 to move up 16 spots and finish tied for seventh (71-76-69), along with sophomore
Gage Smith, who carded rounds of 70-72-74 for a 216 as both finished even. Blazer sophomore
Chase Weathers, playing as an individual, tallied the low-round of the tournament with a 67 in the second round Monday, finished tied for 11
th with a 218 score on rounds of 76-67-75.
Following Smith and Ouimet in the team scoring for the Blazers, was junior
Wesley Hanson, who finished tied for 15
thwith a 221 score on rounds of 73-72-76, while sophomore
Davis Smith tied for 37
th with a 228 score on rounds of 75-73-80. Senior
Jordan Long finished tied for 44
th with a 230 score after carding a 78 in the opener, 75 for the second round and a 77 Tuesday.
Along with Weathers, VSU junior
Ben Trancygier finished tied for 58
th among the individuals as he fired rounds of 85-72-80 for a 237 score, while senior
Thomas Jespersen finished tied for 66
th with a 244 score (79-81-84). Sophomore
Parker Rowe tied for 71
st with a 248 score on rounds of 82-81-85.
The Blazers return home to prepare for the Southeastern Collegiate at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Mar. 8-10. It is one of the premier collegiate golf tournaments in the country and features some of the top NCAA Division II programs in the country and throughout the Southeast. The 54-hole tournament with one round each day is free to attend.
