Both golf teams see good tourney weekend

Jordan Pendal, Staff writer

Over the Sept. 23-24 weekend, the men’s and women’s golf teams competed in separate competitions across the state.  The women finished first in the Allegheny Invitational in Meadville, while the men finished seventh hosting the Mercyhurst Invitational at the Lake View Country Club.  At the conclusion of the first round, the women’s team was in first place.

Shooting a score of 329, the team came out ahead of the pack. The women were tied at the end, but came out winning the Invitational with a score of 313 over 10 other opponents.  “The women’s team has been working very hard lately,” said head coach Ron Coleman. “We could see this coming for a couple of weeks.”  Sophomore Abigail Vietmeier tied for second place with a score of 160 (85-75). Sophomore Saige Avery tied for fourth after shooting a 162. Freshman Claire Orr finished with a 163 (81-82) coming in sixth, while sophomore Bridget Merten, finished in seventh with a 164 (80-84). Senior Georgie Capotis tied for 13th after scoring a 173 (96-77). Senior Kelsey Soom, golfed as an individual, tying for 13th with a score of 173 (86-87).  “Yesterday was definitely a learning experience for the team, and we came back today for the win,” said Capotis, Intelligence Studies major. “We’re all really excited about our first win of the season.”

The men’s team was in a three-way tie for fourth place at the end of round one, shooting a 302. They finished in a tie for seventh place out of a field of 11 others with a score of 307.  Freshman Wesley Neal tied for seventh after shooting a 148 (72-76) over the two days.  Junior Harison Laskey tied for 16th, finishing with a 151 (74-77), while sophomore Adrian Larsen tied for 25th with a score of 155 (76-79).  Freshman Mitchell Smith tied for 34th, finishing with a 158 (83-75) and junior Les Lancaster tied for 39th place with a score of 159 (80-79).  “We had two beautiful days of golf out there,” said Jose Pena, senior Marketing major. “Unfortunately, we did not come out on top, but we are all feeling good and ready heading into the end of the fall season and PSACS.”

Both Pena and freshman Jeffrey Goris II golfed as individuals. Pena tied for 11th, finishing with a 149 (76-73), while Goris ended in a tie for 50th with a score of 162 (68-76).  “We actually had one of our better rounds of the year, but it wasn’t enough to overcome some good game play,” Coleman said.  Coleman is happy with the way both the men’s and women’s teams are progressing.  He is looking for the men to build on the improvements. Coleman knows there are a lot of top teams in the region, and the men are looking to show up against some of the better teams.  “The Lake View golf course is a great place to hold a tournament,” said Coleman. “The weather was fantastic.”

The women play again in the Findlay Invitational Oct. 8 and 9 in Findlay, Ohio.
The men compete in the Elwell Fall Classic on Oct. 1-2. That tournament is hosted by Gannon University at Whispering Woods Golf Club.