GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. -- The Trine University men's golf team concluded its fall schedule with the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship and placed fifth of eight teams at Kaufman Golf Course in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Trine finished with a two-day team score of 594 strokes (297+297=594) on the par 70, 6,355-yard course layout to place fifth overall. Hope (Mich.) College took the team title with 568 strokes (284+284=568) and was followed by Kalamazoo (Mich.) College in second with 577 strokes (285+292=577). Calvin (Mich.) College rounded out the top three teams with 580 strokes (288+292=580).
The Thunder were led individually by junior Grant Brettnacher (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) who began the tournament with a first round of 70 strokes and then shot a 74 on the final day to end the event with an overall score of 144 strokes which was good enough to put him in a tie for sixth.
Sophomore Cameron Ruge (Coldwater, Mich./Coldwater) also had a strong tournament with rounds of 71 and 75 strokes to post an overall total of 146 strokes and finsihed 12th amongst the field. Junior Nick Knowlton (Bridgman, Mich./Bridgman) fired an opening round of 82 strokes yesterday and then improved by a dozen strokes to conclude the tournament with a total of 152 strokes (82+70=152).
Sophomore Carlos Coeto (Bernardo, Mexico) had the fourth lowest total for the Thunder with a pair of rounds in the 70s with a 77 and 78 to finish with a score of 155 stokes. Junior Todd Mieske (Owosso, Mich./Owosso) was fifth on the team with a two-day score of 158 strokes (79+79=158).
Also competing for Trine was junior Joe LeSueur (Northfield Center, Ohio/Trinity) who shot a round of 83 strokes on Friday and then bettered his first day total by four strokes with a 79 to conclude the tournament with a score of 162 strokes (83+79=162).
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Brettnacher and Ruge were both named All-MIAA and both garnered second-team honors.