Warriors finish eighth at NAC Championship

2009 fall season concludes at Whistling Straits

Kyle Madson

Full Results

HAVEN, Wis. – The Wisconsin Lutheran College men's golf team concluded its 2009 fall season on Tuesday by placing eighth out of nine teams at the Northern Athletics Conference Championship held at the Whistling Straits Irish Course.

Senior Kyle Madson (Madison, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) finished 22nd overall in the 45-player field to lead the Warriors. Madson carded rounds of 84 and 86 for a 170 (+26) on the par-72 course. Sophomore Henry Tews (Campbellsport, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran) shot a two-round score of 176 after firing consecutive rounds of 90 and 86 for a 29th-place finish.

After shooting a 95 in Monday's first round, sophomore Caleb Pearson (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Luther Preparatory) turned in a team-low of 83 in Tuesday's final round. Pearson finished 33rd with a 178 (+34). Seniors Ryan Mraz (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Crystal Lake South) and Kyle Plath (Lake Geneva, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) carded two-round totals of 185 and 195, respectively, to round out the scoring for WLC.

The Warriors finished eighth as a team with a combined stroke total of 703. WLC fired a 356 on Tuesday, before concluded with a 347 on Tuesday.

The Aurora University Spartans won the title with a team score of 620, 44-over par. Their Monday total of 305 was the best team round at the two-day championship, while their 315 reigned best of Tuesday's scores. Aurora’s Brandon Vicory finished at 6-over (150) and tied with Edgewood College's Aaron Gavin after 36 holes for the top spot. A one-hole playoff gave Gavin an advantage for medalist honors at the championship.

Edgewood, winner of the 2006 championship, finished second at 630 (311-319) posting the second-best round each day. Benedictine finished third at 59-over (312-323--635) and MSOE, winners of the previous two championships, finished fourth at 649 (321-328).

Lakeland College was fifth (339-340--679), Concordia Wisconsin was sixth (351-334--685), Marian University seventh (337-355--692), WLC eighth (356-347--703) and Rockford College ninth (402-382--784).

Scores from the today's event combined with the NAC AQ Meet in the spring will determine the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships.