KWU Men’s Golf claims KCAC Championship at weather-shortened KCAC Second Leg

GARDEN CITY – Kansas Wesleyan is back-to-back Kansas Conference Men’s Golf Champions – two years apart.

After claiming the 2019 title, and there not being a 2020 championship due to COVID, the Coyotes claimed a second straight conference crown when the Second Leg at Buffalo Dunes was cut to 27 holes after inclement weather hit the area Monday night.

Trailing in the overall KCAC standings by three shots after the First Leg in March, the Coyotes bolted out to the overall lead shooting a 314 in the first round of the Second Leg, in less than ideal golfing conditions of cold temperatures and a steady strong north wind that was ushering in the snow that wiped out the completion of the second round, and the final round scheduled for Tuesday.

All golfers got through at least 11 holes of Monday’s second round, but the tournament was cut short at 27 holes, using just the first nine of the second round to tabulate scores.

KWU pushed its lead in the second leg out to 10 shots at the 27-hole mark over Oklahoma Wesleyan, and the lead in the overall standings out to 10 shots over Bethany.

The Coyotes finished with a total overall score of 1362 in the standings, and were at 467 in the second leg.

Troy Watson (SR/Coffeyville, Kan.), who led after the First Leg, maintained his four-shot lead through the Second Leg to claim the KCAC Individual Championship, finishing with an overall score of 327. Bethany’s Larus Long was second with a 331.

Watson and Long tied in the Second Leg individual standings, both carding a 27-hole total of 112.

Three other Coyotes earned All-KCAC honors by finishing in the Top 10 overall standings. Landon Berquist (FR/Lawrence, Kan.) was third at 340, Ethan Vikander (FR/Aberdeen, S.D.) tied for fifth at 347 and Logan Vacca (SR/Coffeyville, Kan.) tied for eighth at 348.

KWU won the Second Leg with a score of 467, while Oklahoma Wesleyan was second with a 477, followed by Bethany at 480, Ottawa at 490, Sterling at 496, York at 508, Southwestern at 516, Tabor at 519 and Bethel at 529.

Final overall standings were led by KWU at 1362, followed by Bethany at 1372, Oklahoma Wesleyan at 1410, Sterling at 1434, Ottawa at 1455, Southwestern at 1467, Tabor at 1497, York at 1508 and Bethel at 1553.

Landon Berquist and Ethan Vikander tied for third in the Second Leg standings with a 118. Logan Vacca was seventh with a 119 and Matthew Freriks (SO/Stinnett, Texas) was 43rd with a 137 to round out the team scorers. Trevor Watson (FR/Coffeyville, Kan.) played as an individual finishing 11th with a 121.

The Coyotes now prepare for the NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships May 18-21 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.