GREENSBORO, NC - The Wittenberg Tigers held a three-stroke lead midway through the fourth and final round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. However, the Tigers were unable to hang on as Methodist posted the low round of the day to claim their 11th national championship, finishing three strokes ahead of runner-up LaGrange and four strokes clear of the Tigers.
Despite the disappointing conclusion to Friday's round, the result was the best in program history, one spot higher than the Tigers' fourth-place finish in 1990. Methodist won the tournament with 1,173 strokes over the four rounds, while LaGrange totaled 1,176 and Wittenberg checked in with 1,177.
Berry finished fourth with 1,179 and Redlands, the top team in the GolfStat statistical rankings prior to the nationaly competition, rounded out the top five with 1,186.
Wittenberg started the day just one stroke off the third round lead held by Berry, and through the first nine holes for all five Tigers on the course, the Tigers had moved into a three-stroke lead. After posting the best round of the tournament on the challenging East Course at Grandover Resort on Thursday, however, the Tigers were unable to keep their momentum on the back side Friday.
Methodist posted a round of four-over-par 292, while LaGrange had a 296, compared to 12-over-par 300 for Wittenberg.
Individually, senior John Chaney (Gates Mills, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) led the way for Wittenberg, capping his stellar collegiate career in style with an even-par round of 72. He finished the four-round tourney just one stroke over par at 289 total, good for sole possession of seventh place in the final standings.
Sophomore Sam Stilwell (Sterling, Va./Dominion) carded a 74 in the final round to finish 20th overall with a score of 295. That fourth round score was matched by senior Jared Wissinger (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson), who wound up 31st overall at 298.
Senior Alex Andrews (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) was unable to replicate his three-under-par round of 69 on Thursday, posting an 80 in his final collegiate round. He finished 38th overall with a 301, followed by junior Sam Geise (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) in 60th place in the 210-player field. Geise's four-round total was 309.
"I couldn't be prouder of both teams (Wittenberg's men and women)," said Head Coach Jeff Roope. "They worked extremely hard all year, and it's nice to see that hard work pay off in their successes from start to finish this season.
"It's hard to imagine all they've accomplished and all the honors that have been bestowed upon them, but I know that they are grateful for each one. As I've said all year, Coach B (Assistant Coach Andy Bonar) and I have been privileged to be part of this journey."
Written By: Ryan Maurer