Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Results

PEORIA, Ill. (May 4, 2024) - Improving its position throughout the weekend after a tough first round, the North Central College men's golf team closed its season with a sixth-place finish in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship at Weaver Ridge Golf Course.

The Cardinals sat in eighth place after posting a score of 322 in Thursday's first round, then moved up to seventh Friday after carding a total of 301. A third-round score of 306 Saturday elevated North Central into a sixth-place tie with Carroll University, as each team finished with a 54-hole total of 929. 

No. 5-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University won its 12th consecutive CCIW team championship, owning a 12-stroke lead after the first round and finishing with a 17-under-par final score of 847. The Titans finished 58 strokes ahead of runner-up Carthage College (895), while Augustana College placed third (900), Millikin University finished fourth (902) and Wheaton College came in fifth (911).

Illinois Wesleyan's Bobby Baubien placed first in the individual standings to earn the CCIW's Student-Athlete of the Year Award with a five-under-par score of 211. Beaubien was the only player in the field to shoot below par in all three rounds. 

North Central's Mitchell Mazzei rose six spots in the standings in Saturday's final round to place ninth overall, claiming All-CCIW and the conference's First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year Award. After posting a score of 78 Thursday and a 74 Friday, Mazzei fired a three-under 69 on Saturday to finish five-over-par for the tournament with a score of 221. 

Mazzei's final-round score included 13 pars, four birdies and a single bogey. It is the lowest ever by a Cardinal in CCIW Championship play and matches the fifth-lowest round in the program's history. Mazzei posted the lowest score by any player in the field Saturday and the second-best single 18-hole round by any player across the three-day event. Mazzei finishes the season with an average 18-hole score of 74.27, surpassing the previous North Central record of 74.50 set by Sergio Ronchel Salas '22 in 2020-2021.

The Cardinals' Brendan Joy achieved consistent play throughout the tournament, shooting 77 Thursday, 76 Friday and 75 Saturday to finish 18th with a total of 228. Joy was also North Central's recipient of the RESPECT Award, which recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture.

Zachary Lunde bounced back from a first-round score of 85 to card a career-low round of 70 on Friday, matching the seventh-lowest score in the Cardinals' history. Lunde finished with a 78 Saturday to tie for 25th place with a total of 233. Cole Martin shot 250 (82/81/87) to place 40th while Braden Estes finished 44th with 262 (92/86/84).

The Cardinals conclude their campaign with an average team score of 310.2 stroke per round, second-lowest in the program's history and the lowest since 2008-2009.

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