WPU Finishes in Runner-Up Position at ONU Tourney
Crete, Ill.–The Statesmen men’s golf team fell just short of taking home a title in its season opener as it competed at the Bill Johnson Memorial hosted by Olivet Nazarene Monday and Tuesday.
William Penn placed second out of eight teams with a two-round score of 558 (279-279) at the par-69 Lincoln Oaks Golf Course. Host Olivet Nazarene took the crown at 548.
Luke Martin of ONU earned the medalist honor at 134 (69-65).
Kaedyn Funnell-Wong (Fr., Auckland, New Zealand, General Accounting) opened his Statesmen career by pacing WPU with a top-five finish, taking fourth at 138 (69-69).
The trio of Mario Palain (So., Zaragoza, Spain, Business Management), Cael Schofield (So., Albia, Iowa, General Accounting), and Maxence Moreau (So., Lyon, France, Applied Mathematics) also placed in the top 10.
Palain, at 68-72, and Schofield, at 71-69, both tied for eighth at 140, while Moreau tied for 10th at 141 (71-70).
Alvaro Rodriguez (Jr., Gijon, Spain, Business Management) concluded the squad scoring at 143 (72-71) to tie for 14th.
Playing as individuals, Tyler Pedretti (Jr., Upland, Calif., Business Management) tied Moreau for 10th at 141 (73-68), while Elliot Lorentzon (Jr., Stockholm, Sweden, Business Management) was only able to play on Tuesday (carded a 71).
“The guys played hard and battled, despite not having their best,” Head Coach Darin Fisher said. “We just could not get any momentum going on the second day. We really struggled with our iron play and did not take advantage of the shorter course like I thought we could. Hats off to Olivet Nazarene as they really played well on the second day, and throughout the event.”
“I think everyone on this squad believes we can win events, and runner-up finishes sting a bit,” Fisher added. “We just need to learn from missed opportunities like this, and put in the time this week so we are well-prepared to take advantage of an opportunity in Michigan next week.”
“We had several strong individual performances, including Kaedyn Funnell-Wong and Cael Schofield,” Fisher said. “I was very impressed with Kaedyn’s ability to fight in his first collegiate event, even when he did not have his best stuff. Cael also stepped into the varsity lineup at the last minute, and posted two scores we could use in his first event in college.”
Next Up: William Penn travels to Boyne, Mich. next Tuesday and Wednesday to compete in the Lawrence Tech Collegiate Kickoff at Boyne Mountain Resort Golf Course.
