CONOVER, N.C. - - Moving day at the NCAA Division II Golf National Championship provided low numbers for the Wilmington University golf team, as it shot a 295 on Tuesday in the second round to move up to 14th overall with one more round to play at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa.
The 295 score is the best round the Wildcats have ever produced at the NCAA Division II National Championship, this year being the fourth National Championship head coach Harry Jennings had the Wildcats be participants.
The goal is to be one of the top eight teams after three rounds of stroke play, as the top eight teams advance to the match play format on Thursday and Friday to determine a champion. After two rounds of play, the Wildcats are 17 strokes outside of the top eight with an overall score of 597. Chico State is the eighth place team after round two, coming in with a score of 580.
Freshman Joey Russo again led the Wildcats on Tuesday, shooting a 72 (+1) for the round, hitting two birdies and three bogeys. He finished the front nine at even par before finishing with a 37 (+1) on the back nine. He is in a tie for 25th overall with a 144 (+2) two-round score.
Junior Andreas Lunding and sophomore Sam Clark tied the afternoon with each shooting a 74 (+3), and are currently tied in 67th overall with a two-round score of 151 (+9). Clark converted a tough up and down out of the bunker on the 18th green, standing with one foot in the bunker and the other out, pitching it to within six feet of the hole. He converted the birdie on the final hole of the day to finish eve-par on the back nine. Lunding started hot with back-to-back birdies to start the round, but bogeyed holes four, five, and seven to finish the front at one-over.
Sophomore Freddy Braun rounded out the Wilmington scoring with a tough 75 (+4), going all over the place on the front nine. A birdie on five had him even on the day before he hit back-to-back double bogeys on six and seven. He finished out the front nine with back-to-back birdies, finishing the front nine at 37 (+2). He made it three straight birdies with another one on 10, but then bogeyed 11, 13, and 15 to finish the back nine at 38 to finish with the 75. His two round score of 151 also has him in a tie for 67th overall with Lunding and Clark.
Senior Alexander Lautenschlaeger shot six strokes better than his first round, finishing with a 77 (+6) on Tuesday. He birdied the first hole of the day and finished the front nine at two-over par. He committed three straight bogeys to start the back nine however, finishing with a 40 (+4) to complete the 77. His two round score of 160 has him in 104th overall.
The Wildcats are ahead of four nationally ranked teams after two rounds, and just behind 11th ranked Florida Southern. Second ranked South Carolina Aiken lead the stroke play even with a total score of 567 (-1) after two rounds. St. Leo posted the best round of the day, shooting a 278 (-6) to move up seven spots and now sit in second overall.
St. Leo's Ryan Gendron shot a four-under par round on Tuesday to get into the lead with Central Missouri's Sam Migdal. Migdal shot a 71 (E) on Tuesday as they both stand at 137 after two rounds.
The Wildcats are paired with Florida Southern and Indianapolis on Wednesday in the final round of stroke play, with the first tee time set at 8:25 a.m. The Wildcats will be teeing off from the first hole on Wednesday.
