HOWARD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers stand atop the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship Series after the first two rounds after topping the nine-team field assembled at Apple Valley Golf Club.

Hosted by Kenyon on the par-72, 6,946-yard course, the NCAC Championship Series #1 went to Wittenberg by a 10-stroke margin over the host Lords. Wittenberg carded rounds of 293 and 295 for a total of 588, compared to 598 for Kenyon and 613 for Allegheny.

The nine teams will re-convene on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, at Springfield Country Club for the NCAC Championship Series #2, hosted by Wittenberg. The Tigers are the pre-championship favorite to claim their sixth consecutive league title.

Senior John Chaney (Gates Mills, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) led the way for Wittenberg, carding rounds of one-under-par 71 and one-over-par 73 to finish at even-par 144 and claim medalist honors. He won the tournament by two strokes over Kenyon's Mason McCool and sophomore Sam Stilwell (Sterling, Va./Dominion).

All five Tigers entered in the 45-player field finished in the top 10 individually. Junior Sam Geise (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) and senior Jared Wissinger (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) were half of a four-way tie for fifth place with matching two-day totals of 150. Senior Alex Andrews (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) rounded things, finishing ninth with a total of 151.

The winner of the annual four-round NCAC Championship Series earns the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament from May 12-15 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC.

Written By: Ryan Maurer