By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

GEARHART, Ore. -- Alex Weirth (Fy., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy) was tied for third place, and Willamette University teammates Andrew Kibbee (So., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) and Austin Davis (So., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS) were tied for 10th, after the first round of the George Fox University Invitational at the Gearhart Golf Course on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Willamette men's golf team held third place in the team standings at 299. A total of 43 golfers are participating in the tournament.

Ryan Pearson from Pacific Lutheran University and Clayton Rajewich from George Fox were tied for the lead after 18 holes with matching scores of 1-under-par 71. Weirth and three other golfers were only one stroke off the pace in a tie for third at even-par 72. Joining Weirth in third place were Jared Beals of PLU, Owen Rosebeck of Pomona Pitzer (Calif.), and Matthew McClure of Linfield College.

Three more golfers were tied for seventh place at 74. They were GFU golfer Jushoua Lackey and PLU golfers Gunner Nielson and Alex Nelson. Kibbee and Davis were tied for 10th place with Mason Koch of George Fox, with all three golfers carding a 75.

Also competing for Willamette on Saturday were Carlos Cortes Dequidt (Fy., San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines HS) and Tyler Shreve (So., Buffalo, WY/Buffalo HS). Cortes Dequidt shot 77 and was tied for 14th. Shreve shot 84.

Pacific Lutheran was first in the team standings at 291. George Fox was second at 296, three strokes in front of Willmaette. The Bearcats had an 11-stroke advantage on Pomona-Pitzer, which held fourth place at 310. Linfield was fifth with a score of 314, while Whitman College was sixth at 319 and Pacific University was seventh at 339. The tournament will conclude with the second round on Sunday, Oct. 6.