COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- Monday's final round at the 2014 Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Golf Championships
started with four teams vying for the title, all separated by just
five shots, but it was Bethel University that rose to the occasion
and pulled away for its first-ever conference championship in men's
golf. The Royals carded a team score of 297 Monday to finish with a
three-day total of 906 and win by six shots.
Heading into the final round, Bethel held a three-shot lead over
Gustavus, with Saint John's just a shot back of the Gusties and St.
Thomas another shot back in fourth to set up a highly-anticipated
final round, but the Royals' collective brilliance over the
decisive 18 holes turned expected drama into a Bethel coronation.
The Royals were three shots behind St. Thomas after Saturday's
opening round with a score of 307, but they surged into the lead
Sunday with a 302 and finished off the title Monday with their
score of 297, which was tied for the lowest 18-hole score of the
tournament with Concordia's Monday score.
Youth was served in the individual competition, as Gustavus
freshman Chris Captain had a pair of remarkable rounds en route to
earning medalist honors. He shot a 2-under par 70 Monday after
shooting a 71 Saturday and 76 Sunday to finish the tournament
1-over-par (217) to win the individual title by three shots. Saint
John's Ryan Gallagher was the leader after 36 holes and finished
second with a 4-over-par total of 220 and Concordia's Coy Papachek
equaled Captains tournament-low round with a 70 Monday to finish
third at plus-six (222). Captain is the first rookie to win
medalist honors since St. Thomas' Alex Kapraun shared first place
in 2011. He's the third Gustavus first-year to earn MIAC medalist
honors and the first since Ajeetesh Sandhu in 2007.
Despite the close proximity of the top four entering the final
day, all four stayed in their placement as a little separation
crept in. Gustavus carded an even 300 to finish second behind
Bethel with a three-day total of 912. Saint John's rounded out the
top three with a 303 Monday and a total of 917, and St. Thomas
finished fourth with a 308 Monday and a total of 921.
Concordia carded one of the best team rounds of the tournament
Monday with an impressive total of 297, and the Cobbers moved up
two spots in the standings to finish in fifth with a total of 928.
Augsburg was just two shots behind Concordia in sixth with a total
of 930 (311 Monday) and Carleton (934 total, 307 Monday) also had a
good final day and finished four shots behind the Auggies in
seventh. St. Olaf shot 314 Monday and finished eighth with 946,
Macalester shot 317 Monday and came in ninth with a total of 960
and Saint Mary's (1,007 total, 340 Monday) rounded out the final
spot in the standings.
After Captain, Gallagher and Papachek, a pair of Bethel players
tied for fourth individually while leading their team to victory.
Dillon John shot a 74 Monday and Bennett Smed shot a 75, and both
finished with identical scores of 225. St. Thomas' Alex Kapraun was
a shot back in sixth at 226, his teammate Bennett Schroeder came in
seventh at 227 and Bethel's Alex Case, Saint John's Drew Lynch and
Carleton's Ned Rohrbach rounded out the top 10, as all three tied
for eighth with a 54-hole total of 228.
The final team scores are listed below, along with the top 10
individual finishers. Those top 10 finishers were named to the MIAC
All-Championship Team, and they will receive All-Conference honors
(along with five at-large selections) when the MIAC Golf Awards are
announced in the spring. The All-Championship team and team
champions were honored at an awards ceremony.
Fans can re-live all the action from an outstanding three days
of golf on the MIAC Golf
Championships web site, which includes complete results, recaps
and photo galleries (with all photos available for purchase
online). Fans can interact on social media on the MIAC's Facebook page, or on Twitter using the hashtag #MIACgolf.
| MIAC Golf Championships Home Page |
| DAY ONE | RESULTS | PHOTOS
|
| DAY TWO | RESULTS | PHOTOS |
| DAY THREE | TEAM RESULTS | INDV. RESULTS | PHOTOS
| AWARDS PHOTOS | ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM |
2014 MIAC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS - FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
& INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
| Men's Final Team
Standings |
Men's All-Championship Team (Top
10) |
|
1. Bethel - 906 (307-302-297)
2. Gustavus - 912 (307-305-300)
3. Saint John's - 917 (309-305-303)
4. St. Thomas - 921 (304-309-308)
7. Concordia - 928 (318-313-297)
6. Augsburg - 930 (309-310-311)
7. Carleton - 934 (316-311-307)
8. St. Olaf - 946 (317-315-314)
9. Macalester - 960 (332-311-317)
10. Saint Mary's - 1,007 (345-322-340)
|
1. Chris Captain, Gustavus - 217 (71-76-70)
2. Ryan Gallagher, Saint John's - 220 (72-72-76)
3. Coy Papachek, Concordia - 222 (74-78-70)
T4. Dillon John, Bethel - 225 (76-75-74)
T4. Bennett Smed, Bethel - 225 (76-74-75)
6. Alex Kapraun, St. Thomas - 226 (72-76-78)
7. Bennett Schroeder, St. Thomas - 227
(74-78-75)
T8. Alex Case, Bethel - 228 (78-75-75)
T8. Drew Lynch, Saint John's - 228 (78-76-74)
T8. Ned Rohrbach, Carleton - 228 (75-74-79)
|