NSU second, UCO fourth in MIAA Men’s Championship
MONKEY ISLAND, Okla. – The RiverHawks fired off a 7-under-par 281 in Wednesday’s final round of the MIAA Men’s Golf Championship. Lindenwood shot a sizzling 16-under and pulled away to an 11-shot victory.
Wednesday’s runner-up finish matched NSU’s best as a member of the MIAA (2014).
“I’m proud of our effort out there today,” said head coach Scott Varner. “We gave a gutsy performance knowing we needed to have a good finish at conference to make an argument to make the NCAA Regional. We’ve come a long way as a program in the last year.”
Griffen Matthias paced the RiverHawks and earned a fifth-place finish with a 210 (71-70-69). Casey Paul finished in tenth carding a 215 (69-74-72) and Tyler Ashman was a stroke back (76-71-69) tied for 11th place.
Carlos Gomez came in 14th on a 219 score (70-76-73) and Jax Johnson was tied for 15th a stroke behind Gomez’s score (73-76-71).
Lindenwood’s Markus Lindgren took medalist honors with a 205 score.
Gomez earned All-MIAA honors following the tournament, which are determined by the total number of points earned in the four MIAA designated events (two in the fall and two in the spring, including the MIAA Championship).
The RiverHawks are a bubble team for the NCAA Super Regional and will find out on Friday, April 26 if their season will continue.
Alexander Hughes and Cody Troutman shot a combined 12-under-par to lead Central Oklahoma on the final day. Hughes fired a 7-under 65 and Troutman a 5-under 67 for the Bronchos, who tied for fourth in the final standings. UCO closed with a six-under 282 in ending the two-day, 54-hole tournament with an 866 total.
The Bronchos will find out early next week if it will earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II national tournament, which starts with regional play May 9-11.
Joe Lemieux added a 74 for UCO, Blake Murray shot 76 and Jacob Lackey80.
Hughes won the MIAA individual crown in 2017 with a final-hole eagle and just missed out on a second title as Lindenwood’s Markus Lindgren birdied No. 18 to win by one shot. Hughes’ 10-under 206 total tied for the fourth-best 54-hole score in UCO history and he also tied for the second in under-par scoring and the 65 tied for the sixth-lowest round.
The senior birdied the third, fourth and ninth holes in making the turn at three-under 33 before adding birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 16 and 18 for a back-nine 32. Hughes played the 15 par-5s 12-under for the tournament.
Troutman got off to a quick start with birdies on the first two holes and he was three-under after another birdie at the par-5 fourth. He dropped a stroke on No. 7, got that back with a birdie on the par-5 ninth for a three-under 33 and then added two birdies and seven pars on the back in closing out his 67.
The senior tied for eighth in the medalist standings at two-under 214.