BLUFFTON, Ohio - Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 marked the 1st time the Beavers took to the course since the spring of 2004. As the calendar turned to September the weather was more like October with mid 60's temperatures and 25-30 MPH winds making day one of the inaugural Beaver Fall Classic a challenge. The Beavers showcased both of the home tracks. Round 1 was played at Hidden Creek Golf Club followed by round 2 at Bluffton Golf Club.

Leading the way in round one for the men was Mason Jones (Sidney/Fairlawn) with a 79 which was good enough for 10th place, followed by Jackson Wolfe (Spring Branch, Texas/Winston School San Antonio), a stroke back at 80. The women were led by Victoria Wilson (Liberty Center/Otsego) and Mercedes Burns (Ashtabula/Edgewood) who went 105 and 107, respectively. The shot of the tournament was made by freshman Takoda Pratt (Shelby), who holed out for a 2 on the 13th hole, a 409-yard par 4 at Hidden Creek!

As the winds calmed and the temperatures rose, the scores steadily improved. That was even more evident for Jones who carded the second-best score in the tournament with a 73 in round 2, vaulting him to a 3rd place finish. Jones' 2-day total of 152 set a new 36-hole record for the Beavers! Wolfe, who was also in contention throughout the day, carded a 78 for a two day total of 158 and a 13th place finish. Jones and Wolfe led the Beavers to a 6th place finish. The women were paced on day two by Hannah Ferguson (Marion/Ridgedale) with a 107. She knocked a whopping 21 strokes off her day one score. Ferguson was followed by Wilson (109) who led the Beavers with a 2-day total of 214. The women fell to Earlham College in the dual match.

The women will be right back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 5 when they travel to Defiance (Eagle Rock GC) for the Jon P. Spiess Memorial. The men will hit the links Saturday, Sept. 9 and 10 at The Fort GC in Indianapolis for the Dick Park Invite hosted by Franklin College. The Fort GC will serve at the host for the first two rounds of the 2018 HCAC championship. It'll be a great weekend to preview the course.

-BEAVERS-