Roanoke Second in ODAC-Heavy Event
HARRISONBURG, Va. --- Rain and soggy conditions were constants at the 2015 VSGA State Intercollegiate men's golf tournament, giving the event's 12 competing teams another impediment to face at the Heritage Oaks Golf Club in Harrisonburg, Va. Eight ODAC squads dotted the field and the results certainly showed a strong showing from the conference's contingent, led by individual medalist Austin Fockler from Hampden-Sydney College.
Roanoke College (583) staked a claim to second-place in the team standings, finishing five shots back of Ferrum College after two rounds of play on the 6,324-yard par-70 track. Bridgewater College and Shenandoah University (588) tied for third, while Virginia Wesleyan College (589) placed fifth. Hampden-Sydney (590) chimed in sixth and was followed by Randolph-Macon College (592) in seventh. Lynchburg College (601) took up ninth position, while Eastern Mennonite University (635) rounded out the ODAC's representation in 11th position.
Fockler, a sophomore from Richmond, Va., enjoys his first collegiate victory. He joins Virginia Wesleyan's Evan Cox in posting three event wins over the first four-plus weeks of competition for ODAC golfers. Fockler opened with a 3-over par 73, but recovered to post the second-lowest round of the tournament with a 3-under 67 to finish at even-par 140. The 67 is the lowest of Fockler's career and the best round posted by a Tiger since Brian Burt fired a 67 in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship.
Eight other golfers joined Fockler in the top-10. Shenandoah's Evan Cocke tied for second at 1-over 141 (69-72), while Bridgewater's Rhett Martin (71-71) and Roanoke's Alex Taylor (66-76) tied for fifth at 142. Taylor's 66 was the low-round of the tournament. Fellow Maroon Andrew Butts (72-71) tied for second at 143, while Cox (72-73), Lynchburg's Josh Irby (75-70) and Matthew Stanley (74-71) and Randolph-Macon's Matthew McDonagh (70-75) tied for ninth at 145.
For more information on ODAC men's golf, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter.