Rio Grande tops Golden Bears in playoff, claims RSC Men's Golf crown
Rio Grande tops Golden Bears in playoff, claims RSC Men's Golf crown
FINAL LEADERBOARD
Rio Grande Sports Information
DANIELS, W.Va. - The University of Rio Grande captured its first-ever River States Conference men's golf championship Tuesday afternoon, upending West Virginia University-Tech on the second playoff hole at The Resort at Glade Springs.
The RedStorm, who began the day four strokes back of both the Golden Bears and Indiana University East, carded a final round 17-over par 305 on the Resort's Cobb Course to force the playoff.
After a rules violation denied Rio the opportunity to win the crown on the first playoff hole, the RedStorm got the job done on playoff hole No. 2 to claim the program's first conference title and earn a berth to the NAIA National Championship, which is set for May 21-24 at the Dalton Golf and Country Club in Dalton, Ga.
"I am so proud of this team. It took a lot of hard work to get where we are, but these guys deserve it all," said third-year Rio Grande head coach Lauren Lee. "We've had an amazing season. What an even better way to end it by heading off to the national tournament."
Rio Grande - which made a methodical climb toward the top of the team leaderboard after settling in fourth place following the opening day of the 54-hole event - and WVU-Tech both finished at 53-over 917.
IU East finished one shot behind the RedStorm and the Golden Bears at 918, while Indiana University Kokomo (+60--924) and Midway (Ky.) University (+61--925) rounded out a tightly-contested top five.
"Each year, this team has gotten better and better," said Lee, whose squad lost to IU East in a playoff at the RSC Fall Preview in October. "What a great way for someone like (senior) Whit (Byrd), who has been there each to have the chance to finish his career as a conference champion and advance to the nationals."
Individually, WVU-Tech's Bryson Beaver took medalist honors and also earned a spot in the national tournament by finishing at 2-under par 214. He recorded his second straight sub-par round of the tourney, finishing with a 1-under 71 on Tuesday.
Beaver was also the only player in the field of 61 participants to finish the tournament under par.
Rio Grande's Rodrigo Portilla was a distant second at 6-over par 222 and IU East's Jake Miller finished third at 9-over 225.
The trio was joined on the All-River States Conference First Team by Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College's Mason Compton and IU East's Sam Firebaugh, both of whom tied for fourth place at 11-over par 227.
The All-RSC Second Team, comprised of the five individuals finishing in positions 6-10, included IU Kokomo's Corbin Robinson, Nicolas Gonzalez of Rio Grande, IU Kokomo's Drew Wagner and the Midway duo of Hayes Mason and Jack Bedell.
The All-RSC Third Team included WVU-Tech's Lukas Lange, IU Kokomo's Ryan Jones and Rio's Alfonso Baro - all of whom tied for 11th place - as well as IU East's Austin Shelley, Midway's Gage Gregory, Point Park (Pa.) University's Tharcisse Kalinda and Hayden Williamson from IU Kokomo, all of whom tied for 14th place.
Beaver was named the RSC Golfer of the Year, while Will Barnes from IU East was the RSC Newcomer of the Year and WVU-Tech's Garrett Goosman captured the Thomas Harkelroad Coach of the Year award.
The RSC also named its Men's Golf Champions of Character Team, with one honoree from each school who best exhibits the NAIA character values, along with the Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete Team for those with a 3.25 grade point average or higher not in their first year at their institution.
ALL-RSC MEN'S GOLF TEAMS & AWARDS
RSC Golfer of the Year
RSC Newcomer of the Year
RSC Coach of the Year
- Garrett Goosman – WVU Tech
RSC Championship Medalist
All-RSC Men's Golf First Team
- Bryson Beaver – WVU Tech
- Rodrigo Portilla – Rio Grande
- Jake Miller – IU East
- Mason Compton – Alice Lloyd
- Sam Firebaugh – IU East
All-RSC Men's Golf Second Team
- Corbin Robison – IU Kokomo
- Nicolas Gonzalez – Rio Grande
- Drew Wagner – IU Kokomo
- Hayes Mason – Midway
- Jack Bedell – Midway
All-RSC Men's Golf Third Team
- Lukas Lange – WVU Tech
- Ryan Jones – IU Kokomo
- Alfonso Baro – Rio Grande
- Austin Shelley – IU East
- Gage Gregory – Midway
- Tharcisse Kalinda – Point Park
- Hayden Williamson – IU Kokomo
RSC Men's Golf Champions of Character Team
- Mason Compton – Alice Lloyd
- Aaron Munger – Brescia
- Mark Byerly – IU East
- Oliver Geralds – IU Kokomo
- Ben Wood – Midway
- Reece Reichart – Oakland City
- Thatcher Wilson – Ohio Christian
- Tharcisse Kalinda – Point Park
- Nolan Allen – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Ben Flanders – Shawnee State
- Whit Byrd – Rio Grande
- Bryson Beaver – WVU Tech
RSC Mens' Golf Scholar-Athlete Team
- Christopher Strickland – Alice Lloyd
- Isaac Bowen – Alice Lloyd
- Jacob Rowe – Alice Lloyd
- Mason Compton – Alice Lloyd
- Chase Petry – Alice Lloyd
- Nolan Nofsinger – Brescia
- William Binkley – Brescia
- Austin Shelley – IU East
- Mark Byerly – IU East
- Danny Kasten – IU Kokomo
- Hayden Williamson – IU Kokomo
- Ryder Jones – IU Kokomo
- Trevor Whit – IU Kokomo
- Ben Wood – Midway
- Gage Gregory – Midway
- Hunter Graham – Midway
- Jacob Stevens – Midway
- Addison Horner – Oakland City
- Austin Kramer – Oakland City
- Cole Hergenrather – Oakland City
- Jonathon Miller- Oakland City
- Tharcisse Kalinda – Point Park
- Troy Loughery – Point Park
- Benjamin Goshen – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Chase Nuckols – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Colby Beckwith – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Drake Varns – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Hunter Martin – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Benjamin Flanders – Shawnee State
- Brett Bentley – Shawnee State
- Caleb Davis – Shawnee State
- Daulton McDonald – Shawnee State
- Kyle Salamon – Shawnee State
- Tanner Stevenson – Shawnee State
- Eli Adkins – Rio Grande
- John Lisle – Rio Grande
- Kameron Maple – Rio Grande
- Whitney Byrd – Rio Grande
- Zachery Adkins – Rio Grande
- Bryson Beaver – WVU Tech
- Eric Booth – WVU Tech
- Lukas Lange – WVU Tech
- Philip Rothoff – WVU Tech
- Robert Akerman – WVU Tech