Mountain Lions Climb Two Spots, Finish Fifth at Grand Canyon Spring Invitational

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs golf team finally found some of the consistency that had eluded it in the first two rounds to shoot a team score of 295 Tuesday and finish in fifth place at the Grand Canyon Spring Invitational at Palm Valley Golf Club.

The Mountain Lions were in a seventh-place tie after the first two rounds, which were both played on Monday. In Tuesday's final round, UCCS had the fourth-best score of the day to move ahead of Western New Mexico, Cal State-Stanislaus and Point Loma Nazarene.

Host Grand Canyon took first place, finishing with an even-par 288 to post a three-round score of 871. No. 1-ranked Chico State took second at 879, followed by No. 26 Dixie State at 880 and No. 4 Western Washington at 881.

UCCS got a final round of even par by Riley Andrews and 1-over par 73 by both Spencer Tilghman and Chris Shoop. Spencer Biersdorff's 77 was the fourth scoring round in the Mountain Lions' total. Brian Morfeld, who was one stroke out of the individual lead after two rounds, stumbled Tuesday with a 79 that dropped him all the way to 18th.

Andrews finished in a ninth-place tie individually at 3-over oar (219). Morfeld was second among UCCS golfers at 221, followed by Shoop (224), Biersdorff (231) and Tilghman (235).

Matt Pridey and Jacob Golembiewski, both of Grand Canyon, finished in a first-place tie at 213 (3-under par). Pridey won individual medalist honors in a playoff.

UCCS will have one final tuneup before the final Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference qualifying tournament. UCCS will play Monday and Tuesday at the Dairy Queen Wolfpack Invitational at walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo. The following week, the Mountain Lions will try to secure their sixth consecutive RMAC title at the RMAC Spring Championship at Wigwam Golf Club in Phoenix.