Guilford Slips to Sixth After Third Round of NCAA Championships

FULL RESULTS

Fishers, Ind. (5/17/07) – St. John’s University (Minn.) followed up its first two rounds of 300 with a 301 on Thursday in the third round of the 2007 NCAA Div. III Men’s Golf Championships as they extended their lead to 16 shots heading into the final round on Friday at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club.

The Johnnies tied for the low round of the day with second-place La Verne, which is currently at 305-311-301 917.

Other top 10 teams include Ohio Wesleyan (302-309-307 918), Oglethorpe (303-319-306 928), Huntingdon (307-314-309 930), Guilford (307-311-314 932), Wisconsin Eau-Claire (319-311-305 935), defending champion Nebraska Wesleyan (312-314-310 936), Rhodes (299-316-323 938) and Central (314-312-312 938). Guilford, ranked second in the May 16 Golf World/NIKE Division III Coaches’ Poll, slipped from fifth place into sixth after Thursday’s round.

The field was cut to 23 teams after Wednesday’s round with nine-time champion Methodist being eliminated by Salem State in a playoff 18-19 for the final spot. The four-day tournament will conclude with Round 4 on Friday at Hawthorns Golf and Country Club. The top five individuals not on a team surviving the cut also advanced to the final two rounds.

Individually, Clinton Dammann of St. John’s is the leader with a three-day total of 72-71-72 215. He holds a five-shot lead over Andy Miller of Otterbein (74-74-72 220).

Other top 10 individuals include Jacob Collinsworth of Huntingdon (74-73-75 222), Jeff Nieman of Ohio Wesleyan (72-80-71 223), Bradley Sutherland of Transylvania (74-74-76 224), Taylor Urbanski of Oglethorpe (75-76-73 224), Chris Davis of LaVerne (75-74-77 226), Andrew Longbella of St. John’s (74-73-79 226), Aaron Stockton of Nebraska Wesleyan (74-77-75 226) and first-round leader Rode McElreath of McMurry (69-78-79 226).

Guilford’s Peter Latimer turned in his second round of 74 on the Hawthorns course Thursday, which helped him climb 40 spots on the leaderboard into a share of 35th place with a three-day score of 234.  Classmate Brian Creghan improved for the second straight day with a 75 Thursday that moved him into a share of 61st place at 238.  Senior Joseph Poplin’s followed Wednesday’s one-under 71 with his highest score of the year, an 83, that dropped him from ninth to 31st in the individual standings with a three-day 233.  Sophomore Burton Wood tumbled 34 spots into 65th place after Thursday’s round of 84 that gave him a three-day 239.  Senior Colin Clark, the 2005 NCAA champion, shot 82 Thursday and slipped to 80th place in the 180-student field with a three-day 242.

The Championship is being hosted by Anderson University and the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.