Men’s Golf Locks Up Second in HCAC Preview

The Anderson University men's golf 'A' team locked up second place in the two-day Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Preview, which concluded on Sunday in Richmond, Ky. to close out the fall.

Anderson's 'A' Team posted a 36-hole team score of 612 (+36). The Anderson 'B' Team finished sixth with a team score of 640 (+64). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology edged Anderson for first place by one stroke with a team score of 611 (+35).

Luke LeBourdais tied for first place with a 36-hole score of 148 (+4). The senior from Saginaw, Mich. fired rounds of 76 and 72 on the par-72 layout at Boone's Trace National Golf Club. LeBourdais also captured all-tournament honors. Rose-Hulman's Austin Frick beat out LeBourdais for medalist honors on the third playoff. Carter Wooddell tied for 10th with a 153 (+9), carding rounds of 74 and 79. Lawrence Long tied for 12th with a 155 (+11), shooting rounds of 77 and 78. John Mercer tied for 14th with a 156 (+12), behind rounds of 80 and 76. Trent Nelson tied for 35th with a 165 (+21), turning in rounds of 84 and 81 to round out Anderson's 'A' lineup.

Micah Powell paced Anderson's 'B' Team by tying for 12th with a 155 (+11), firing rounds of 80 and 75. The sophomore from Carlisle, Ohio set both an 18-hole relative-to-par personal record (+3) and a 36-hole relative-to-par personal record. Owen Mockabee secured 17th with a 157 (+13), shooting rounds of 77 and 80. Braden Gibson tied for 20th with a 160 (+16) after carding a pair of 80's. Jackson Rachal tied for 41st with a 168 (+24), behind rounds of 86 and 82. Nathan Charlton took 48th with a 172 (+28), carding rounds of 87 and 85 to round out Anderson's 'B' lineup.

"I couldn't be prouder of the way our guys competed this weekend," Coach Dijon Knight said. "Luke showed incredible composure tying for first and battling through a tough three-hole playoff. As a team, we were right there the whole way and just one shot short of the title. Top to bottom, both squads showed how much depth and progress we've made as a program over the last four years. It really puts things in perspective knowing that just four years ago, we finished 100 strokes behind Rose-Hulman in this same event. I'm incredibly thankful for the effort our players have put in — from the work they put in over the summer to the focus and consistency they've shown throughout the fall in practice. That commitment has been the foundation of our success. Now, it's about maintaining that same work ethic through the winter so we can hit the ground running when the spring season begins."