WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – The Kentucky Wesleyan men's and women's golf teams competed in the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff over the past three days in the Sunshine State.
The Kentucky Wesleyan men's golf team finished 3rd among the six-team field with an overall stroke tally of 916.
Sophomore Braydon Bond led the way with a T-5th finish as part of the 36-player field. Bond shot a 225 (+12) overall.
Freshman Ben Carter was not far behind with a 229 (+16) to come in 9th, and senior Thomas Scott slotted in at 12th with a tally of 233 (+20). Freshman Ryan Loiars and senior Jonathan Kaminski were neck-and-neck as the former posted a 236 (+23, T-14th) and the latter carded a 237 (+24, 17th). Freshman Kolby Crook brought up the rear with a 255 (+42) to finish 33rd.
"I think after this third place finish our guys can see the importance of finishing rounds off. Back on Tuesday, our last two holes cost us a great position. That said, the guys responded well with a solid second round to move up into the final group," head coach Ken Badylak said. "We saw some flashes of maturity as these young guys started to learn how to score more consistently in tournament play. Braydon and Ben did a great job of finishing in the top 10 this week. We all had our rough patches but showed a resilient effort overall."
The Kentucky Wesleyan women's golf team came in seventh among the eight-team field with an overall stroke tally of 1101.
Freshman AnnaMae Atcher was at the forefront of the Panthers' effort with a tally of 264 (+59) to slot in at T-24th in the 45-player field.
Sophomores Autumn Osborne (275, +70) and Ansley Adams (279, +74) came in 30th and 31st, respectively. Senior Avery Shacklette and sophomore Javen Campbell tied for 33rd as each carded a 289 (+84).
"This was our first event of the spring and overall, I was happy to see improvement throughout our lineup. This week is a unique event where we compete for three days and get full access to their facilities throughout the event," Badylak said. "We still have to get better at limiting our mistakes and penalty shots. We will have a quick turnaround for our next event and should make strides as we head into April."
Davenport took home the men's team title with an overall stroke tally of 887. No. 4-ranked Marion claimed the women's team title with an overall stroke tally of 947.
The Kentucky Wesleyan women's golf team is next in action from March 14-15 in Georgetown, Kentucky, as part of the Saginaw Valley State Invitational. The Kentucky Wesleyan men's golf team turns their attention to the Findlay Spring Invitational from March 23-24 in Richmond, Kentucky.
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