By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team was leading the Battle for Bar Run when play was suspended due to the weather midway through the first round on Monday, March 13. The Bearcats were leading the six-team field at even-par. All 38 competitors in the tournament finished between eight and 10 holes before the round was suspended. Andrew Kibbee (Grad., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) of Willamette was tied for second place in the individual standings.

Southern Oregon University, which is hosting the tournament, hopes to resume the event on Tuesday with the completion of the first round, followed by the second round. It's also possible the first round will have to be canceled and only the second round will be played. A decision will be made on Tuesday, depending on the weather and the condition of the golf course.

Willamette's team score of even-par topped the leader board by five strokes. Oregon Institute of Technology was in second place at 5-over par, while Simpson University (Calif.) held third place at 6-over par. Multnomah University (Ore.) was in fourth place at 7-over par. Southern Oregon followed in fifth place at 12-over par, and Bushnell University (Ore.) was in sixth place at 16-over par.

Jackson Holman of Multnomah topped the individual leaderboard at 2-under par. Kibbee and two other golfers, Nathaniel Frink of Southern Oregon and Hunter Eberhardt from Oregon Tech, were tied for second place at 1-under par. Three Bearcats shared fifth place, as Jack McMullin (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), Brock Olson (Fy., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS), and Paxton Jones (So., Wellington, NZ/Scots College) each shot even-par. Six golfers, including Alex Weirth of Willamette, were tied for eighth place at 1-over par.

Also competing for Willamette were Riley Lankford (Grad., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS) at 2-over par, Carlos Cortes Dequidt (Sr., San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines HS) at 3-over par, Lucas Paul (Fy., Salem, OR/South Salem HS) at 4-over par, and Hogan Smith (Jr., Prineville, OR/Crook County HS) at 6-over par.

Willamette's team entry includes Kibbee, Jones, Olson, Weirth, and Lankford. McMullin, Cortes Dequidt, Paul, and Smith are competing as individuals.