HAYDEN LAKE – Paced by senior Connor McCracken’s 4-under-ar 68 in the final round, the Lewis-Clark State College men’s golf team rallied to claim the title at the North Idaho College Invitational on Monday at Avondale Golf Course.
The Warriors stood third after Sunday’s opening round, but came out on fire during Monday’s play and shot a team score of 286, which is 2-under-par. That gave the Warriors a 36-hole total of 589, six shots ahead of runner-up Rocky Mountain, which shot a 300 on Tuesday.
The win gave the Warrior men a perfect sweep of the fall season as they won all three tournaments they were entered in, including two in Frontier Conference play.
“They just gutted it out today,” LCSC coach Paul Thompson said. “We had a much better start than we did on Sunday, although we did give away a couple of strokes at the end. But I’m real happy with their performance.”
McCracken, who had a triple bogey and a double bogey during the first four holes in Sunday’s round of 73, hit 14 of 18 greens in regulations during Monday’s round and did not record a bogey. He birdied two of the first four holes he played and then had back-to-back birdie putts of less than a foot on the back nine.
McCracken’s 36-hole total of 141 marked the second time this fall that he won medalist honors at a tournament. The senior from Eagle, Idaho is the two-time Frontier Conference Player of the Year.
Teammate Kyler Gable of Hayden shot a 1-under-par 71 on his home course, while Jason Molner had a 73 and Tyler Johnson, also of Hayden, had a 74.
On the women’s side, the Warriors wound up fourth at 694 but improved on their score by two strokes from Monday’s opening round. Rocky Mountain took the title at 666, followed by Whitman at 674 and Westminster at 688.
Freshman Brooke Dagner continued her solid play with a team-leading 79 on Tuesday for a 162 total. Senior Alana Norris added an 84.
This was the final tournament of the fall for the Warriors, who will resume play on March 14-15 with the Warrior Invitational at the Clarkston Golf and Country Club.
NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE INVITATIONAL
MEN
Team scores – 1, Lewis-Clark State 286-589. 2, Rocky Mountain 300-595. 3, Community Colleges of Spokane 300-599. 4, Bellevue Community College 300-608. 5, Whitworth 308-616, 6, Carroll 393-621. 7, North Idaho College 308-625. 8, Westminster 318-642. 9, Whitman 324-646. 10, Columbia Basin CC 326-666.
Medalist – Connor McCracken, LCSC, 68-141.
Other LCSC scores – Tyler Johnson 74-148, Kyler Gable 71-150, Jason Molner 73-151, Drew Reinland 83-161.
WOMEN
Team scores – 1, Rocky Mountain 335-666. 2, Whitman 335-674. 3, Westminster 356-688. 4, Lewis-Clark State 346-694. 5, Whitworth 343-698. 6, Community Colleges of Spokane 354-719. 7, Carroll 361-749. 8, North Idaho College 368-753.
Medalist – Rachel Hosterman, Rocky Mountain, 83-158.
LCSC scores – Brooke Dagner 79-162, Alana Norris 84-175, Kelsey Haycock 90-179, Idah Whisenant 93-181, Shanna Herman 95-183.
