By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
WOODBURN, Ore. -- Willamette University shot a team score of 292 in the first round of the Northwest Conference Fall Classic in men's golf on Saturday, Oct. 12, positioning the Bearcats in second place at the Oregon Golf Association (OGA) Golf Course. The final round of the tournament will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13, also at the OGA course.
Alex Weirth (Fy., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy) of Willamette was tied for fourth after 18 holes with a score of 2-under par 70. Andrew Kibbee (So., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS), also competing for the Bearcats, was sixth overall with a 1-under-par 71.
George Fox University topped the team standings with a score of 7-under-par 281. Willamette was 11 strokes behind the Bruins with a score of 292. Whitworth trailed the Bearcats by two strokes, as the Pirates earned third place in the standings at 294. Pacific Lutheran University was fourth at 304, Linfield College was fifth at 310.
Whitman College held sixth place at 314, with Lewis & Clark College right behind the Blues in seventh place at 315. University of Puget Sound was eighth at 316. Pacific University ended the round in ninth place at 323.
Mason Koch and Joshua Lackey, both from George Fox, were tied for first place after 18 holes with matching scores of 5-under-par 67. Dante Heitschmidt, also from GFU, was third at 3-under-par 69.
Weirth from Willamette and Reilly Hegarty from Whitworth were tied for fourth place at 70. Kibbee was alone in sixth place with a 71, and Jared Beals from Pacific Lutheran was seventh at 73.
Willamette's team included Weirth and Kibbee, along with Austin Davis (So., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS), Tyler Shreve (So., Buffalo, WY/Buffalo HS), and Carlos Cortes Dequidt (Fy., San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines HS). Davis was one of five golfers tied for 12th place with a 75. Shreve was part of a four-way tie for 17th at 76. Cortes Dequidt shot an 81.
The NWC Fall Classic is one of three tournaments that will determine the NWC team champion in men's golf. The NWC Fall Classic and the NWC Spring Classic are each worth one-fourth of the title, while the NWC Tournament is worth one-half of the title.