LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. - The Jessup men's golf teams headed to the NAIA A.I.I. Championship this week at Wigwam Golf Course looking to clinch a top-two finish for the automatic berth to the NAIA Golf Championship. Battling to the finish on day two and the final round, the Warriors closed out midpack with a 10th place finish in a field of 17.

Closing in on the finish of the first day and 36 holes, the Warriors jumped a spot in the standings with an eight-stroke improvement from the first round of play. 

Head coach Tim Hovancsek was pleased with his team's outing, "Hunter (Newlin) played solid moving up from T18 to T13 with his 77-75 in the first two rounds, Jacob bounced back from round one 80 to 77, while Oliver Csanyi finished at 162, Zach Gardner a solid 163 and Tyus Goring 170."

Moving to the number nine spot headed into day two, the Warriors had the final round in front of them to make grounds at the Wigwam-Golf tees. Hunter Newlin would lead the pack again through the 16 holes shooting a final 79 on the day to finish tied 18th overall in the field of 82.

Not too far behind was freshman Jacob Custodio (80-77-86) competing in his first conference championship, and teammates Zach Gardner (81-82-82) and Csanyi (83-79-86) as well finishing in the top 50.

The Warriors were unable to capture an automatic bid to Nationals but battled with a young squad of underclassman with a field of experienced golfers to finish in 10th overall amongst the 17 teams. 

Hovancsek reflected, "It was a tough day for Warriors, but I saw the guys pressing to make something happen. Firing iron shots at tough pins and putting themselves in a difficult position to score."

Ending the season with four top 5 performances, the future looks bright for Jessup Men's Golf and their young team leading the way.
   
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).