Strong second day gives Stags SCIAC #1
PASADENA, Calif. – In the first conference tournament of the season, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's team demonstrated their depth to come from behind and win the tournament by eight strokes. In the competitive SCIAC field, the defending national champs were in third place after the first round, six strokes back from La Verne. In the second round, CMS' freshmen shot low and contributed to the team's 2-under performance to win the tournament.
After the downpour on Friday, the Brookside Golf Club's course No. 1 was very wet and challenging for the weekend's tournament. The players got hit with even more weather on Saturday afternoon on the back nine, making the par 72 at 6711 yards feel even longer.
The six players for CMS included a trio of juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen.
On the first day, CMS shot a 297 as a team. Juniors Matt Shuman (CMC) and Jackson Zepf (CMC) led the Stags with steady 73s in the first round. Also counting toward the team score were freshmen Harrison Brenner (CMC) and Austin Long (CMC) who shot 75 and 76, respectively. The team was rounded out with junior Johnny Brandt (CMC) at 77 and sophomore Will Richardson (CMC) at 80.
Brandt shot the low score in the field in the second round with a 70 and jumped up 17 places on the leaderboard to finish in a tie for fifth.
The Stags put together a 286 in the second round to be the only team under par that day. Led by Brandt, Shuman also delivered under par with a 71 as Brenner posted an even 72. Long rounded out the scoring for the team with a 73. Despite improving by six strokes on the second day, Richardson's 74 was impressive, especially considering the conditions, but not low enough to factor into the team's composite. The Stags came out of the gates hot on the second day and as a team, CMS was 2-under on the first hole on Sunday.
Head coach Bim Jollymour commended his freshmen on their performance over the weekend: "they're gaining a ton of experience and showed they can play in this competitive conference." As it was Family Weekend for the colleges, the Stags had a sizeable contingent of parental support out at the Brookside Golf Club to cheer on their victory.
Next up for CMS is a tournament at Robinson Ranch Golf Club in Santa Clarita, hosted by The Master's University. SCIAC and NAIA programs will fill the competitive field Feb. 27-28.
By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director
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