Cougars Place Third at NSIC Championship

Sioux Falls finished with a four-round total of 1272 to place third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Men's Golf Championship hosted at Paradise Point Golf Course in Smithville, Mo. Jordan Mueller was USF's top finisher. The senior wrapped up the tournament with an 84 today, giving him a 72-hole total of 317 (71-82-80-84) which tied for 11^th in the individual standings.

With four of their five players placing in the top-10, St. Cloud State ran away from the field early and cruised to a conference crown. However, the competition was much tighter between second place finisher Minnesota State (1268) and USF, as the two teams were separated by just four strokes.

“We were in a great place (2^nd) through three rounds, but really struggled to finish down the stretch today,” said head coach Jenny Coluccio. “However, we also played really well when we needed to, and I'm very proud of what our team was able to accomplish this season.”

The Cougars finished with three players in the top-20. Joining Mueller was freshmen Nick Gottsleben and Andrew Nelson who tied for 19^th. Gottsleben (80-85-76-81) added an 81 to his tournament card to move up four spots on the leaderboard, while Nelson (85-80-72-85) matched his highest total of the championships with a round of 85 Sunday.

Mueller echoed his coach's praise of the team's effort. “I was really proud of the way our team responded this weekend,” said Mueller. “The playing conditions were tough and in several instances things didn't go our way, but everyone stepped up and grinded it out, especially our young guys. I couldn't be more proud of our team's response in a tough environment.”

Jon Van't Hul had another solid round, as he matched Gottsleben's 81 for the group's lowest final round. Van't Hul's efforts placed him in a three-way tie for 23^rd. Levi Smith (79-78-83-85) rounds out USF's scorers. He finished tied for 26^th overall.

“For us, this was an interesting spring,” said Coluccio. “The weather hasn't been very conducive to playing outdoors, and I think that took a toll on our players both mentally and physically.”

“More than anything, this spring and this tournament, were great learning opportunities. We were able to pin point areas we need improve on, and as a coach, that is exciting,” Coluccio added.

The Championships marked USF's final competition of the 2012-13 season.

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Mueller: 6' 4"; Sophomore

Levi Smith: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Nick Gottsleben: Freshman

Andrew Nelson: Freshman

Jon Van't Hul: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jordan Mueller
: 6' 4"; Sophomore

Levi Smith
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Nick Gottsleben
: Freshman

Andrew Nelson
: Freshman

Jon Van't Hul
: Freshman