COLUMBUS, Ohio - A record-breaking final round score of 281 propelled the Wittenberg Tigers into the top spot for a second straight year at the prestigious Gordin Classic, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan at Columbus Country Club.
The Tigers posted scores of 295 and 287 on the first day of the tournament before going a collective seven strokes under par in the final round to break the school record of 282 established in 2011 at Wittenberg's Rosencrans Maurer Invitational at Windy Knoll Golf Club in Springfield. The Day 2 scores - four of the five Tigers finished under par - sent Wittenberg shooting past first-round leader St. John Fisher.
The Tigers finished with a three-round total of 863, compared to St. John Fisher's 876 and preseason No. 1-ranked Transylvania's 877. Perennial powerhouses Methodist and Guilford rounded out the top five with scores of 878 and 881.
Junior John Chaney (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) made the most of his first start of the 2013-14 season, going lower in each of the three rounds, improving from 73 to 71 to 68. The final round is tied for sixth in program history, while his score over the final two rounds of 139 ranks fourth. His three-round score of 212 was good for medalist honors, one stroke ahead of Mason Stutler of Methodist.
Junior Alex Andrews (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) wasn't far behind, placing fourth with a three-round score of 216. Junior Jared Wissinger (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) placed 12th with a 220, followed by senior Ben Hogenkamp (Minster, Ohio/Minster) in 16th with a 221 and senior David Wetterich (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) in 18th with a 222.
It was Wittenberg's second straight Gordin Classic title after the Tigers posted a three-round total of 868 to beat Methodist by two strokes in 2012. Andrews was the medalist a year ago with a total score of 212, matching Chaney's mark in 2013.
The Gordin Classic has matched 12 of the best NCAA Division III teams since 1991, featuring most — if not all — of the top 10 finishers from the previous spring's NCAA Division III Tournament. The event is named after longtime Ohio Wesleyan coach Dick Gordin, who served as the Bishops' golf coach from 1955-93 and the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993.