SALEM, Ore. -  Our men's golf team took their talents to the Coastal Collegiate Classic hosted by Corban University in Salem, Ore. this past week where they finished at the top of the pack against Top 25 opponents tied for second after the first round and closed out the third round of the second day with an overall 8th (292-304-318) place finish of 16 teams.

Head coach Tim Hovancsek was pleased with his team's performance, "Going up against many of the top 20 schools in the NAIA, this Classic was a good test to see where we stood." 

Monday was a beautiful day on the greens with a solid performance for the Warriors in the first 18-holes of competition. Leading the way was sophomore returner Dominic Salomone who shot an impressive -1 par (70) ranked fourth overall in the tournament with five birdies. Close behind were teammates Hunter Newlin even par (71), Jacob Custodio (74) and Oliver Csanyi (77). Competing as an individual, Tyus Goring shot his personal best in Warrior attire, 74.

"I was very pleased the way the men came out of the blocks in round one with a solid 4 over par (292) to hold second place with Rocky Mountain College," Hovancsek said, "and only 3 shots out of first place Texas Wesleyan." 

On the second day of competition, the Warriors completed the second round that was called due to loss of daylight the previous day and played the final third round in what would be challenging conditions with the rain coming in.

After the second round scores were recorded, junior college transfer Matt Stewart made his way to the leaderboard for the Warriors shooting a best 75, followed by Newlin (76), Csanyi (76) and Salamone (78) for the fifth-place slot overall.

With inclement weather and the come-back mindset to regain composure from the first round, the Warriors struggled the final 18-holes over thinking the easy shots.

Hovancsek confirmed the hardships the third round, "Cold and rains made the course play much longer and more difficult to pick up ground the final day."

After the 54 holes of play, the Warriors finished mid-pack with an 8th place finish of 16 teams. The Warriors will head back to the practice field the remainder of October before heading to Arizona Christian for the Fall Invitational November 13 and 14th to wrap up the first half of the season. 

"I was pleased how the guys continued to fight but some aggressive play cost us too many shots in the final round," Hovancsek said. "All in all 8th is not bad, but as we talked on the way home, we have more game and will be ready to take on Arizona Christian's field come November."

  William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).