Averett University turned in its best round when the Cougars and head coach Jim Gourlay needed it most, finishing with a one-over-par 285 on the final day to wipe out a nine-stroke deficit and win the NCAA Division III men's golf team championship on Thursday at Dornoch Golf Club in Delaware, Ohio.
Final Results
Averett's Janne Mommo shot a one-over-par 72 on Thursday to finish with a three-under-par total of 281 and win tournament medalist honors by three strokes over runner-up Nathan Proshek of St. John's.
Mommo's 281 broke the NCAA Division III tournament record of 283 set by John Lindquist of Gustavus Adolphus in 1992 and Chad Collins of Methodist in 1998, both of those set on par-72 courses.
The national championships were the first in men's golf for Averett, which had never before won a team or individual title in the sport.
The Cougars played well throughout the lineup in the final round, with Jeff Johnston leading the team with a one-under-par 70, Craig Hosie finishing with an even-par 71, Mommo and Toni Karjalainen each carding a 72 and Bret Efird posting a 73. Averett's 285 equaled the best team round turned in during this year's tournament, matching the performance of St. John's during Wednesday's third round.
Wesley College, which had led Averett by nine shots after Wednesday's third round, recorded a 299 on the final day to finish in second place, five shots behind the Cougars. Zac Oakley and Brock Cerklefskie each finished with a 72 on Thursday, with Anthony Apolostico carding a 77 and Chris Noll posting a 78.
Ohio Wesleyan shot a three-over-par 287 to jump from a tie for eighth place to a tie for third place at 1184, nine shots behind Averett. Jeremy Meade led the Bishops with a one-under-par 70, while Justin Schroeder shot a 71, Chad Poling carded a 72 and Jay Tilton and Adam Pry each had a 74.
St. John's, which was tied for third place after the third round, also finished in a tie for third place. The Johnnies got a 68 from Sammy Schmitz and a 72 from Nathan Proshek, moving the duo into the top 10 among individuals.
Methodist, which had been tied for sixth place after the third round, moved up one spot to complete the top five teams. The Monarchs were led by Greg Hanna, who fired an even-par 71.
Oglethorpe and Gustavus Adolphus tied for sixth place at 1190, with Redlands in eighth place one shot back at 1191. Denison, which had been tied for third place going into the final round, finished in ninth place with an 1192 and Wisconsin-Eau Claire rounded out the top 10 with an 1199.
Central finished in 11th place with a 1204, followed by Greensboro (1207), Muskingum (1208), Texas-Dallas (1209), Emory (1214), Williams (1217), Guilford (1223), Trinity (1228), Allegheny (1237), Skidmore (1242), LaVerne (1248), St. Lawrence (1257) and Susquehanna (1260).
In the race for medalist honors, Mommo had led Nathan Proshek by three shots after Wednesday's third round and that margin held on Thursday as both players shot a 72.
Averett's Karjalainen also had a 72 to finish with a 288, moving him up from a fourth-place tie into third place in the final standings.
Neil Johnson of Gustavus Adolphus fired a one-under-par 70 to move into a tie for fourth place at 289, joining Wesley's Oakley and Methodist's Adam Horton.
Denison's Fred Waddell carded an even-par 71 to take seventh place at 290, one shot ahead of St. John's Schmitz, whose second consecutive sub-70 round gave him a final total of 291.
Redlands' Jordan Bailey was ninth at 292 and Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Mark Christensen and Denison's Craig Eckerle tied for 10th place at 293.
Other individual efforts of note included Oglethorpe's Robert Miller, who shot a 68 to match Schmitz with the day's low round.
Thursday's action was played under sunny skies for most of the day with temperatures in the low 70s before storms rolled through in late afternoon, resulting in a delay of 83 minutes.
