Brandon Sweaney
The Wittenberg mens golf team has competed well each of the last
two weeks, but the Tigers havent fared as well as they would like.
Heading into the final two weeks of the 2004-05 season, the Tigers
placed 11th of 16 teams at the Ted Barclay Denison Invitational on
April 9-10 and ninth of 16 at the Nye Intercollegiate Wooster
Invitational on April 16-17.
Those two results likely cemented another year on the outside
looking in for the Tigers when it comes to postseason action.
However, senior Andy Bonar (Lancaster,
Ohio/Lancaster) continues to excel individually.
Bonar, the teams top player in each of the last three years, is
once again atop the squad in scoring average in 2004-05. He had the
finest tournament finish of his collegiate career at Denison, tying
for first place after a scorching second-round 68, the best
individual round of his career and one of the best ever in
Wittenberg history (no records available to confirm). He tied for
first place before losing in a playoff to Otterbeins Andy
Miller.
Junior Kris Schmelzer (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster)
also had a terrific second day at Denison, playing the historic
Granville Golf Club. After an 80 on Day 1, Schmelzer rallied with
the best round of his collegiate career, a second-day 73 that put
him in 32nd place overall.
As a team at Denison, the Tigers wound up on the long end of an
extremely tight middle-of-the-pack. Wittenbergs two-day total of
616 put them in 11th place, but it was just 19 strokes out of
second place.
At Wooster, the Tigers had a better first day than second, ending
up with a two-day total of 635 but slipping from a fourth-place tie
after the opening round to ninth thanks to a Day 2 total of 620.
Again, the margin of error was slim and the Tigers were on the
downside of things, finishing just six strokes out of fourth
place.
Individually, Bonar was again the leader of the pack for the Tigers
as he placed seventh with a two-day total of 153. Freshman
Brandon Sweaney (Columbus, Ohio/DeSales) enjoyed
his best day as a collegian with a 159, good for 23rd place.