Andy Bonar
The Tiger mens golf team turned in another quality finish over
the weekend, taking seventh place against a loaded 17-team field at
the Ohio Wesleyan University Strimer Invitational at Oakhaven Golf
Club in Delaware. Eight of the nine NCAC schools that sponsor golf
participated and the Tigers again hung tough with the upper
echelon, finishing behind nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster
and Denison in the final standings.
Every Tiger golfer involved in the tournament posted at least one
score in the 70s, led by sophomore Andy Bonar (Lancaster,
Ohio/Lancaster), who finished eighth with his best score
of the 2002-03 season, a two-day total of 149 (74-75). Junior
Adam Knowlton (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) also had
his best outing of the season, turning in a 157 (78-79) to finish
tied for 35th.
Rounding out the Tiger scorers were freshmen Kristopher
Schmelzer (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Clinton
Anderson (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg), both of whom
carded a 161 (tie for 61st), and freshman Dane Sandridge
(Westfield Center, Ohio/Lodi Cloverleaf), who had a 162
(tie for 68th).
Bonar, a second-team All-NCAC honoree in 2002, leads the Tigers
with a scoring average of 78.4 during the spring season. Schmelzer
has a scoring average less than 80, checking in at 79.6. They are
two of the main reasons the Tigers have posted a winning
head-to-head record in 2003 for the first time in at least five
years. Head-to-head winning percentage is based upon a teams
placement in tournaments compared to other teams. At Ohio Wesleyan,
for example, Wittenberg went 10-6 by finishing seventh out of 17
teams.
The season comes to a close in all likelihood this weekend as the
Tigers participate in the NCAC Championship Tournament in Oberlin.
Wittenberg has finished fourth each of the last two years. With
four conference rivals taking turns among the top 25 in the nation
in the season, however, it will be quite a challenge for the young
Tigers to equal that mark again this year.