By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Plymouth, Ind.---The No. 3 Owens Community College men's golf team overcame a tough luck situation yesterday to finish fifth at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Tournament.

Following yesterday's round, the Owens golf team thought they were in third place, just five strokes out of second place. However, it was learned this morning that Brandon Hoelzer's (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) had his score of 77 disqualified yesterday due to signing an incorrect scorecard. Therefore, his score was dropped and Kirby Manown's (Belle Vernon/Belle Vernon, Penn.) 83 was put in - thus giving Owens an additional seven strokes and dropping them to fourth place.

Today, however, Hoelzer was back in the lineup. Along with Harrison Long (Wilnecote/Tamworth, U.K.) and Philippe Weppernig (Luzern, Switzerland), the trio each shot a 77.

Dru Hein (Jasper/Jasper, Ind.) added a 79, and Manown shot an 88.

With those scores, Owens finished with a fourth round total of 310. They finished the tournament with an overall score of 1219 (+67), which was just one shot behind Blackhawk (Ill.) College for fourth place and five shots behind Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for third place.

Long and Weppernig each shot a 301 (+13) to finish tied for 14th. Therefore, they each earned NJCAA Division II Second Team All-American honors.

Walters State (Tenn.) Community College won the national championship with an 1189 (+37), while Mesa (Ariz.) Community College was second with a 1200 (+48).

Levi Fink of North Iowa Area Community College won the individual national championship with a 287 (-1). 

Notes

Owens now has consecutive top 10 finishes at the national tournament for the first time in program history. Additionally, this year's fifth place finish is the best in program history.

In addition to their Second Team All-American honors by the NJCAA, Long and Weppernig were each named to the NJCAA Division II All-National Tournament team. It is the first time in program history that two players have earned NJCAA All-American honors in the same year and, prior to this year, no golfer in program history has earned higher than Honorable Mention All-American by the NJCAA until this season.