Tigers Repeat In Third Place At 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament

ROCHESTER, NY - The Wittenberg Tigers ranked among the best in the nation throughout the 2015-16 season. Along the way, the Tigers exemplified the concept of team, finishing a tremendously successful campaign without an individual victory in a tournament.

That teamwork was on display once again in the NCAA Division III Tournament as Wittenberg finished in third place for a second straight year. The Tigers carded a final round score of 311 to end up at 1,208 overall, 10 strokes behind national champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and four back of Huntingdon. Wittenberg finished in a tie with Washington & Lee and three strokes ahead of 2015 national champion Methodist.

The third-place finish matches the best in program history, which includes 23 NCAA Tournament appearances (22 as a member of NCAA Division III). The Tigers have reached the national competition seven straight years, making the cut to finish in the top 15 in six of those appearances.

Mark David Wright led Wittenberg in the fourth round of the NCAA Division III Tournament with a 77. File Photo | Nick Falzerano

For a third straight day, the key was balance as all five Tigers entered in the competition scored 78 or lower. Junior Mark David Wright (Westerville, Ohio/Tree of Life) led the way with a 77 on a challenging scoring day at Midvale Country Club, with the other four Tigers all finishing with rounds of 78.

For the tournament, junior Garrett Brickley (Pickerington, Ohio/North) led the way for the Tigers with a four-round total of 301, good for a tie for 12th place out of 210 golfers who started the week. Senior Sam Geise (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) was right behind with a total score of 302, which put him in a tie for 16th place.

Freshman Isaac Hartley (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) was next for Wittenberg with a 303 and a 21st place finish, followed by Wright in 31st with a score of 306. Freshman Colin Laszlo (Waipahu, Hawaii/Punahou) placed 64th with a 316.

Written By: Ryan Maurer