AURORA, Ill. – Lakeland University shot four consistent scores on both of the final two days of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and it paid off with a move up the team standings in the fourth and final round of the conference championship at Stonebridge Country Club Monday.
The Muskies finished with a team round of 320 on Monday after a 315 on Sunday, coming home with a team score of 1309 strokes. After sitting in seventh after the first three rounds, including two rounds in the fall, Lakeland moved past both Benedictine University and Edgewood College on the final day to finish fifth of 10 teams competing, its best finish in the NACC Championship in 11 years, since coming home fourth in 2013-14.
The Muskies shot the fifth-lowest round on Monday after tying with fourth-place finisher Milwaukee School of Engineering (final total of 1283) for the fourth-best round on Sunday. Lakeland posted three rounds in the 70s in the third round, while the fourth round including the top four Muskies all shooting between 79 and 81.
Brandon Bloechel (
So.-Sheboygan, Wis.) was Lakeland's top individual finisher, tying for 17th individually with a final total of 327. Bloechel shot the Muskies' best round of the final two days with a three-over par 75 on Sunday, a round that included three birdies plus a big-time eagle on the par-4, 438-yard 12th hole. Bloechel also added two birdies in his round of 81 on Monday, one also coming on the 12th hole.
Roger Sauvage (
Jr.-Seattle, Wash.) played the final two rounds after joining the team second semester and shot matching scores of 79 on Sunday and Monday. His Monday round included an even-par 36 on the front nine holes that included three birdies in four holes from the 4th through the 7th.
Parker Braun (
So.-Brillion, Wis.) and
Kaiden Dopp (
So.-Wild Rose, Wis.) were not far behind Bloechel in the individual standings, coming 21st and 22nd, respectively. Braun shot rounds of 82 and 80 to finish out four rounds overall in the championship all between 80 and 84 for a total of 330. Dopp shot the team's third round in the 70s on Sunday with a 79 that included six birdies, and he closed with an 80 on Monday to finish at 331 for the championship.
Ayden Long (
Fr.-Oostburg, Wis.) also competed in the spring and shot rounds of 93 and 86, while
Gabe Ascher (
Jr.-Wautoma, Wis.) finished with rounds of 101 and 96.
Lakeland improved its scores considerably after scoring 339 in the first round and 335 in the second round, with the first two rounds in the fall held at Blackwolf Run on the Meadow Valleys Course in Kohler.
The NACC Championship will be the final event of the Muskies' season, as the tentatively scheduled Lakeland Spring Invitational that was set for tomorrow has been canceled.
NACC Championship Final Results
Scorecards
