Webster Posts All-Time Low Score to Capture SLIAC Golf Championship
ST. LOUIS - Webster University posted a three-round score of 886, the lowest in conference championship history, to capture the 2011 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Championship. It marks the fourth time that the Gorloks have claimed the crown and the first time since 2008.
With their 2011 title, Webster also receives an automatic qualifying bid and will make their second appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships.
In addition to their all-time three-round low score of 886, Webster also posted a second round score of 287, which marks the lowest round in SLIAC championship history.
Webster's Kaleb Kessler claimed individual medalist honors and was named the SLIAC Player and Newcomer of the Year after placing first in the field of 40. Kessler had rounds of 74-72-73 to finish with a one-stroke advantage, 219. He also recorded a hole-in-one on the 185-yard, par 3, hole #5 in the final round, helping him to secure the conference title. Kessler is the fourth SLIAC Golfer to earn both Player and Newcomer of the Year honors in the same season.
The Gorloks were also led by Steven Kinsman, Dan Klipsch and Kyler Scott. Kinsman placed second with a 71-71-78--220 to earn First Team All-SLIAC honors. Klipsch was Second Team All-SLIAC in a tie for eighth place with scores of 71-73-82--226, while Scott rounded out the top 10 with scores of 83-71-73--227.
Joining Kessler and Kinsman on the First Team All-SLIAC were Westminster College's Taylor Webb, Spalding University's Keith Thompson and Fontbonne University's Nolan Zoellner. Webb (73-73-76--222) and Thompson (73-75-74--222) tied for third place, while Zoellner finished in fifth place with scores of 73-72-78--223.
Blackburn College placed two golfers on the Second Team All-SLIAC in Dallas Gray (78-75-71--224) and Trent Groves (75-75-76--226). Fontbonne's Matt Tuggle was also named Second Team All-SLIAC after placing seventh with scores of 74-76-75--225.
Webster head coach Andrew Belsky was named the SLIAC Men's Golf Coach of the Year, while Eureka College took home the Sportsmanship Award for the second consecutive year.
Complete Championship results are here.
