By: Clint Neumann
SMITHVILLE, Mo. - The University of Sioux Falls men's golf team earned a tie for seventh place at the NSIC Preview, competing against a 15-team field at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex. The Cougars finished with a team score of 600, carding rounds of 301 and 299 on the par-72, 6,910-yard course.
Sioux Falls competed on the same course that will host the NSIC Championship later this spring, gaining valuable experience while producing consistent scoring across both rounds. Ty Lenards led the way for the Cougars, finishing near the top of the leaderboard with a strong two-round performance.
Tournament Snapshot
- Top Cougar Finish: Ty Lenards – T7 (71-73 | 144)
- Lowest Round: Ty Lenards – 71 (-1)
- Team Best Round: 299 (+11) – Round 2
- Tournament Champion: Winona State (A) (-2)
- Number of Teams: 15
How It Happened
The Cougars opened the tournament with a 301 (+13) in round one, positioning themselves in the middle of a competitive leaderboard. Sioux Falls followed that with a slightly improved second round, carding a 299 (+11) to move into a tie for seventh overall.
The consistent scoring across both rounds allowed Sioux Falls to remain in contention throughout the event. With multiple players contributing solid rounds, the Cougars showed balance in their lineup while navigating a course that will be a key site later this season.
Top Cougar Performers
Lenards paced Sioux Falls with a tie for seventh-place finish, posting rounds of 71 and 73 for a two-round total of 144. His opening round of one-under par was the lowest score recorded by a Cougar during the event and kept him near the top of the leaderboard throughout the tournament.
Ryan Nutter added a strong performance, finishing tied for 27th with rounds of 74 and 76. Jadan Ford provided consistency with rounds of 78 and 73, while Charlie Hanson rebounded with a solid second round to help round out the Cougar scoring lineup.
Cougar Scorecard
Ty Lenards – T7 – 71-73 – 144
Ryan Nutter – T27 – 74-76 – 150
Jadan Ford – T31 – 78-73 – 151
Charlie Hanson – T54 – 78-77 – 155
Jaden Solheim – T78 – 78-81 – 159
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Devon Verhasselt (IND) – T50 – 78-76 – 154
Deven Sehr (IND) – T54 – 80-75 – 155
Coach's Corner
"Overall, it was a good tournament for us in that we got three rounds on the course that will play host to our conference championship in April. The kids like the golf course and got a good feel for how it will play next month. Extremely proud of how well Ty played this week. He hovered at or near the top of the leaderboard all tournament. Also got some good play out of Ryan Nutter both days. Jadan Ford and Deven Sehr had good bounce-back rounds on Tuesday."
- Head Coach Wade Merry
Up Next
The Cougars will return to action March 30-31 at the Tommy Riggs Collegiate Invitational at Crestwood Country Club in Pittsburg, Kansas.
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