Andrew Oakes finished third with a three-day total 223 (+7).
The Gustavus men’s golf team left all it had on Bunker Hills Golf Course Monday at the final day of the 2011 MIAC Championships, recording a tournament-low 290 (+2) to finish runner-up with a three-day score of 901 (+37). St. Thomas won the 2011 MIAC Championship with an 897 (+33), shooting a 302 on the final day.
The Gusties battled their way back to the podium after shooting a 308 on day one and a 303 on day two – concluding Sunday’s play in fifth place 16 shots back from the Tommies. Gustavus’ 18-stroke improvement from day one to day three was bested only by Macalester’s 21 stoke upgrade.
Gustavus edged Saint John’s by one stroke to take silver. The Johnnies shot a 299 on day three, finishing the tournament at +38 (902).
The Hermantown, Minn. connection of Alex Kolquist and Andrew Oakes both tallied top-five finishes at the tournament. Junior captain Kolquist matched the tournament’s lowest score on day three, firing a two-under-par 70 to finish in a tie for fifth place with a three-day total 224 (76-78-70, +8). St. Thomas’ Brian Parkhurst also shot a 70 on day two. Kolquist’s third day mark moved him up 15 spots as he walked off the course in 20th at +10 after the second day.
Oakes also finished strong with his best round of the tournament on day three, knocking an even-par 72 to finish on the podium in a tie for third. The sophomore registered a three-day total 223 (77-74-72, +7), tying Saint John’s Casey Vangsness. Oakes was in eighth place following day two, entering the final day four shots behind the leader.
Alex Kolquist finished fifth with a 224 (+8). Kolquist shot a tournament-low 70 on day three.
Joining Kolquist and Oakes in the top-10 was junior Coby Rowley (Prior, Lake, Minn.). Rowley finished with meet with a 78 (+6) on day three, tying for 10th place at 228 (77-73-78, +12). Kolquist, Oakes and Rowley all take home All-Conference honors for their performances. Alex was an All-MIAC performer last season, while Andrew and Coby are both receiving the award for the first time in their careers.
All five of Gustavus’ players finished inside the top-20. Trevor Gervais (Fergus Falls, Minn.) and Tyler McMorrow (St. Cloud, Minn.) placed 15th and 19th, respectively, to round out the squad. The pair shot near identical scores over the three-day affair. Gervais went 78-78-74 to finish with a 230 (+14), while McMorrow shot 79-78-74 to finish with a 231 (+15).
St. Thomas’ Alex Kapraun and St. Olaf’s Justin Volling shared the 2011 MIAC Individual Crown after shooting a 221 (+5).
Gustavus’ 54-hole 901 is tied for eighth in MIAC Championships history. The score also matches Gustavus’ second best team score all-time, as both the 2006 and 2009 MIAC runner-up Gustie squads shot a 901 at the same tournament.
The Gustavus men’s golf team will conclude its fall season at the Twin Cities classic held Oct. 8-10 at the Links at Northfork in Ramsey, Minn., the Elk River Country Club in Elk River, Minn., and Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove, Minn.