LACEY, WASH. -- Willamette University finished the Northwest Conference Spring Classic in eighth place at the conclusion of the second round on Sunday, April 3. Linfield College won the tournament with a 36-hole team score of 625 after shooting 303 over the final 18 holes.
Linfield achieved a nine-stroke margin of victory over the University of Puget Sound, which took second at 634 (320-314). Pacific University was third at 636 (328-308), while Whitworth University was one stroke behind the Boxers in fourth place at 637 (329-308).
Whitman College placed fifth at 662 (344-318), Pacific Lutheran University was sixth at 671 (349-322), George Fox University was seventh at 697 (357-340) and Willamette was eighth at 753 (386-367). Lewis & Clark College did not field a complete team.
Max Bonk of Pacific won the individual championship with a two-day score of 147, after shooting an even-par 72 on the first day and a 75 in the second round. Yutaro Sakamoto of Linfield placed second at 151 (78-73), while Matt Kitto from the University of Puget Sound took third with a score of 153 (76-77).
Alex Fitch of Linfield and Cameron Whittle of Whitworth tied for fourth place at 156. Fitch's round were an 82 and 74, while Whittle carded an 81 and a 75.
Willamette's top finisher was Jacob Simonson (Fr., Fairview, OR/Reynolds HS), who shot a 36-hole score of 164. He ended the first round at 84, and then reduced his score by four strokes for an 80 on the second day.
Kyle Derby (Fr., Oakdale, CA/Oakdale HS) carded a 183 (92-91) for the Bearcats. Brendan Dineen (Jr., Portland, OR/Grant HS) finished at 184 (94-90).
The NWC Spring Classic counts for one-fourth of the overall NWC men's golf championship. One-fourth is determined at the NWC Fall Classic and the remaining half is based on the NWC Championship Tournament, which is set for April 22-23 at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, Wash.
Up next for Willamette is the George Fox Invitational on April 9-10. The tournament will be held at the Chehalem Glenn Golf Course in Newberg, Ore.
Jacob Simsonson was WU's top finisher at the NWC Spring Classic.
