April 19, 2008

Malone Wins Own Invitational Title With New Tourney Record, Takes Fourth At NAIA Classic; B Team Claims Runner-Up Finish At Walsh Invitational

 
The Malone College men’s golf B team tallied a second-place finish among a three-team field at the Walsh University Invitational on Monday to open up what became an outstanding week of action for Pioneer men's golf.  At the Walsh event, Malone registered a score of 319 to finish just three strokes behind Walsh University which won the team title at 316.  The University of Northwestern Ohio came in third with a score of 340.
    
For the Pioneers, Zach Keller (Fr., Wynford H.S.) paced the team and finished in a tie for second overall at 78.  Mark Zimmerman (So., GlenOak H.S.) tied for fourth place at 79 followed by Quinn Parker (Fr., Canton Central Catholic H.S.) and Ryan Gaughan (Fr., Lake H.S.), who finished with rounds of 81.  Kyle Sine (Fr., Shawnee H.S.) carded an 83.
   
On Monday and Tuesday, the Malone A squad finished in fourth place with a two-day score of 611 (307-304) among a 14-team field at the NAIA Classic, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.  Berry (GA) College took first place with a 606 (298-308) by virtue of a playoff win over Lindenwood (MO) University, which also tallied a 606 (291-315).  Texas Wesleyan University came in third with a 607 (302-305). 
    
The Pioneers' Ben Smith (so., Carrollton H. S.) tied for second with a score of 149 73-76), Darren Phipps (Sr., Lake H.S.) carded a score of 150 (75-75) and tied for sixth place and Justin Lower (Fr., Northwest H.S.) came in 22nd with a score of 154 (80-74).  Michael Strayer (Sr., Riverside H.S.) followed in 53rd with a score of 162 (79-83) and Matt Strayer (So., Riverside H.S.) carded a 164 (85-79) to place 63rd.
    
At the Malone Invitational, Malone A won the team title among an eight-team field and set a new tournament record with a two-day score of 572 (285-287).  Hope (MI) College was second at 591 (300-291), Malone B took third at 596 (299-297), Ohio Dominican University carded a score of 597 (295-302) to secure fourth place and Walsh University rounded out the top five at 610 (303-307).  Mt. Vernon Nazarene University placed sixth at 611 (305-306), University of Northwestern Ohio finished seventh at 625 (314-311) and Mt. Union College came in eighth at 634 (320-314).
    
Justin Lower, of the Malone A team, captured medalist honors and tied the individual Malone Invitational record with a two-day score of 140 (71-69).  Lower held on to finish first overall by two strokes over individual runner-up Tommy Yamaoka of Hope, who shot a two-day total of 142 (77-65).  Yamaoka’s incredible second-round total of 65 tied the Tannenhauf course record and marked the lowest single round in Malone Invitational history.
    
Joining Lower and Yamaoka on the All-Tournament Team was Adam Arnett of Ohio Dominican, who finished third at 143 (73-70), Michael Strayer of Malone A, who took fourth at 145 (73-72), and Ryan Gaughan of Malone B, who placed fifth overall with a score of 146 (73-73).
    
Other Malone A scores included Ben Smith and Darren Phipps at 147 (Smith with 77-70 and Phipps at 69-78) and Matt Strayer at 148.  For Malone B, other scores included Zach Keller at 150 (74-76), Kyle Sine at 152 (73-79), Mark Zimmerman at 153 (79-74), and Quinn Parker at 156 (82-74).
    
This week, Malone, which is currently ranked 16th nationally in the NAIA, will compete in the AMC/NAIA Region Championships on Thursday and Friday at the Apple Valley Golf Course in Mt. Vernon, OH.
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