HAINES CITY, Fla. — The Wittenberg Tigers proved they belonged - again. Less than four months after shooting up to sixth place in the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships after a 17-year absence from the national stage, the Tigers again finished sixth in a 15-team Golfweek Invitational field loaded with 12 ranked teams.
The Tigers, without a senior in the line-up, carded rounds of 296, 291 and 295 to finish with a three-day total of 882, good for a tie with St. Olaf. Greensboro College ran away with the event, blistering the par-72, 6,888-yard Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club course for a six-under-par total of 858. Huntingdon placed second, 10 strokes behind.
The 291 on Day 2 tied a school record, established twice during the 2009-10 school year.
Sophomore Craig Osterbrock (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) caught fire after an opening-round 77, posting a team-best 67 on Day 2 and finishing with a 68 to move into sole possession of fourth place. The 67 Osterbrock shot in the second round is the second-best score ever by a Wittenberg player, and his 135 combined in the final two rounds is a school record, bettering the 136 Bleu George carded at last year's Denison Fall Invitational.
Not far behind Osterbrock was junior Ricky Boerner (Hilliard, Ohio/Watterson), who posted a three-day total of 217, including a 68 in the opening round. Boerner placed ninth overall.
Rounding things out were junior Ben Smith (North Bend, Ohio/Elder) with a 227, good for 45th place, freshman Jack Uecker (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary)with a 228, good for 52nd, and junior Jordan Millice (Cable, Ohio/Triad) with a 236, good for 70th.
After a week of practice, the Tigers head south again for another tournament that includes many of the top teams in all of NCAA Division III. Wittenberg will participate in the Rhodes Fall Collegiate Classic at Tunica National Golf Resort on Sunday, Sept. 26 and Monday, Sept. 27.