Men's Golf At Stimer Invitational

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Andy Bonar

The Tiger mens golf team turned in another quality finish over the weekend, taking seventh place against a loaded 17-team field at the Ohio Wesleyan University Strimer Invitational at Oakhaven Golf Club in Delaware. Eight of the nine NCAC schools that sponsor golf participated and the Tigers again hung tough with the upper echelon, finishing behind nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster and Denison in the final standings.

Every Tiger golfer involved in the tournament posted at least one score in the 70s, led by sophomore Andy Bonar (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster), who finished eighth with his best score of the 2002-03 season, a two-day total of 149 (74-75). Junior Adam Knowlton (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) also had his best outing of the season, turning in a 157 (78-79) to finish tied for 35th.

Rounding out the Tiger scorers were freshmen Kristopher Schmelzer (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Clinton Anderson (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg), both of whom carded a 161 (tie for 61st), and freshman Dane Sandridge (Westfield Center, Ohio/Lodi Cloverleaf), who had a 162 (tie for 68th).

Bonar, a second-team All-NCAC honoree in 2002, leads the Tigers with a scoring average of 78.4 during the spring season. Schmelzer has a scoring average less than 80, checking in at 79.6. They are two of the main reasons the Tigers have posted a winning head-to-head record in 2003 for the first time in at least five years. Head-to-head winning percentage is based upon a teams placement in tournaments compared to other teams. At Ohio Wesleyan, for example, Wittenberg went 10-6 by finishing seventh out of 17 teams.

The season comes to a close in all likelihood this weekend as the Tigers participate in the NCAC Championship Tournament in Oberlin. Wittenberg has finished fourth each of the last two years. With four conference rivals taking turns among the top 25 in the nation in the season, however, it will be quite a challenge for the young Tigers to equal that mark again this year.