ALBANY, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's golf team fired a final round 292 to finish ninth at the 2024 Hurricane Invitational on the par 72, Doublegate Country Club hosted by Georgia Southwestern Tuesday.  
 
The Blazers, who are among others receiving votes in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Top 25, finished with an 871 score (290-289-292) for the 54-hole event, while No. 2-ranked North Georgia won the 15-team tournament with an 835 score, including a blistering 270 on Tuesday.  No. 3 West Florida finished second with a 20-under 844 score as the Argos carded a 278 on Tuesday.  No. 5 Georgia Southwestern finished third at 14-under 850, while Anderson (RV) finished tied for fourth with No. 6 Lincoln Memorial at 13-under 851.  
 
Lee, ranked tenth nationally, finished sixth with a 7-under 857, while South Carolina Beaufort jumped three spots to finish seventh with a final round 280 and a 54-hole score of 867.  No. 19 Columbus State finished eighth at 569, while the Blazers were ninth, edging No. 12 South Carolina-Aiken by one stroke (870).  
 
Barton, ranked No. 24, finished 11^th with an 875 score, followed by No. 21 Wingate with an 876 score.  Carson-Newman (RV) finished 13^th at 879, followed Georgia College (885) and Shorter (RV) was 15^th at 887.  
 
Individually, North Georgia's Jack Vajda earned medalist honors, edging West Florida's Per Ekelund by one stroke.  Vajda finished 10-under 206 with a final round 68, while Ekelund finished at 9-under 207 with a 3-under 69 Tuesday.  UNG's Ethan Day also tied for second at 9-under.  Columbus State's Bryan Vail fired a final round 67 to move up five spots and finish tied for fourth at 8-under 208 with West Florida's Cooper Tendick. 
 
For the Blazers, senior Chase Long carded a final round 69 to finish tied for seventh at 6-under 210.  Junior Elad Sebbag fired a 70 on Tuesday to finish tied for 21^st with a 1-under 215.  Blazer senior Brandon Cho finished with a 224 score on rounds of 74, 74 and 76 to tie for 61^st, while senior Parker Highsmith also tied for 61^st with rounds of 74, 73 and 77.  Playing as an individual, junior Joshua Burki tied for 67^th with a 226 score on rounds of 73, 80 and 73.  Sophomore Alexander Nilehn finished 74^th with a 229 score (78-74-77).  
 
VSU concludes the fall portion of the schedule Oct. 14-15 at the Copperhead Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla., at Copperhead at Innisbrook.