MUAC golfers take third straight
PLYMOUTH – Due to constant weather fluctuations and course conditions, Spring golf in Indiana doesn’t always make sense, but what the Marian University Ancilla Men’s Golf team was able to accomplish on Sunday afternoon absolutely did. On their home course of Swan Lake, the Chargers went back-to-back-to-back in MCCAA conference play for the first time in program history, winning the MUAC Tournament by 2 strokes over the rest of the field, and making it 3 tournament championships in a row.
It was a cold, wet, and windy day at Swan Lake Resort, located just Northwest of Plymouth, and while no one had their best game on Sunday, it truly took a team effort to secure the victory. With the amount of rain that has come down in the last week, combined with temperatures in the 30s and 40s for the entirety of the round, Mother Nature decided that adding 20 to 25 miles per hour winds might be a fun anecdote for those competing on the Black Course.
All 5 Charger golfers finished within 6 strokes of each other, with scores varying from 77 to 83. They did just enough to hold on to 1st (317 combined), with Grand Rapids Community College (319) within 2 strokes and Montcalm Community College (320) a stroke behind the Raiders. Sophomore Hunter Zdyb (+5) finished in a tie for 4th Place with a 77, while Freshman Juan Pablo Benavente (+6) managed a 78, good enough for a tie for 7th Place. Sophomore James Sanders (+9) and Freshman Jace Lugar (+9) tied for 11th Place with 81s, while Freshman Jeffery Cook (+11) shot an 83, tying him for 17th overall.
While the Chargers have swept the first 3 MCCAA events this Spring, their lead over Grand Rapids was only extended by 2 strokes on the season, allowing the Raiders to stay within range of the Chargers for the conference title. Postponements and cancellations have been the norm this Spring, which means the Chargers will take to the fairways again already tomorrow (4/20) at Stonegate Community & Golf Club in Muskegon, Michigan. At this point, the event is working on a 1-hour start-time delay, so hopefully it can be played with minimal additional delays.
