Gorloks Win SLIAC Golf Championship in Record-Setting Style

ST. LOUIS - For the second straight year the Webster University men’s golf team won the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Golf Championship and did it in record setting fashion.

Webster won the tournament defeating second place Spalding University by 35 strokes, the second largest margin of victory in SLIAC history. The Gorloks set a conference record for the lowest three-round team total, firing a three-round score(54 holes) of 874 (290, 293 and 291). This is Webster's fifth SLIAC golf championship, tying the conference record for most titles with Fontbonne University and Maryville University (Mo.). Webster also won the championship in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2011.

Webster junior Kyler Scott took home top individuals honors and was named SLIAC Player of the Year after shooting a SLIAC record three-round total of 212 (68, 73 and 71). Scott's first round 68 was the lowest individual round score in conference history and just the second round scored in the 60's in conference history. Teammate Tanner Rabb, who finished second individually in the tournament, became the third conference golfer to post in the 60's with his 69 in round two. Rabb was also named SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, and Webster head coach, Andrew Belsky, took home Coach of the Year honors.

Webster had four golfers in the tournament's top six individually with Steve Kinsmann finishing fourth (221) and Matt Vanderbeek finishing sixth (226).

The Gorloks' victory qualifies them for the NCAA Division III National Championships at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla., May 15-18. This is the second straight year the Gorloks have qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Spalding University took home second place honors with two players finishing in the top five. Keith Thompson finished third with a three-round total of 220, while teammate Andrew Pleasant fired a 222 which put him in fifth place.

Blackburn College finished in third place, just two strokes ahead of fourth place Fontbonne.

Earning First Team All-SLIAC honors were Scott, Rabb and Kinsman from Webster, and Thompson and Pleasant  from Spalding. Second Team All-SLIAC honors were awarded to Webster's Vanderbeek, Blackburn's Seth Shultz and Trent Groves, and Fontbonne's Kory Carter and Charlie Martin.

Eureka College was also presented with the SLIAC Sportsmanship Award for the third consecutive year. The team Sportsmanship Award is given to the team whose players, coaches and fans best exhibit the principles of good sportsmanship. The SLIAC also recognizes one individual from each team, selected by his coach and teammates, who throughout the season best displays the ideals of sportsmanship. The 2012 All-Sportsmanship Team includes Adam Evans (Blackburn), Ryan Matlock (Eureka), Charlie Martin (Fontbonne), Jay Winkleman (MacMurray), Andrew Pleasant (Spalding), Steve Kinsman (Webster) and Jacob Yarnell (Westminster).

Below are the team scoring totals...

1 - Webster (290-293-291--874)
2 - Spalding (306-311-292--909)
3 - Blackburn (317-314-311--942)
4 - Fontbonne (312-318-314--944)
5 - MacMurray (352-341-342--1035)
6 - Eureka (361-358-355--1074)
7 - Westminster (362-360-354--1076)