TOURNAMENT RESULTS

SARTELL, Minn. -- Competing with just four golfers' results available for team scores, the Augsburg College men's golf team finished 17th at the St. John's University Fall Invitational, held Saturday at Greystone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, Minn., and Sunday at Blackberry Ridge Golf Club in Sartell.

With one player having to withdraw from the five-player Augsburg squad due to illness on Saturday, the Auggies were forced to count all four of its individual scores, without the luxury of having a fifth score to drop each day. Augsburg finished with a 649 (331-318) total, finishing 17th in the 15-school, 20-team field.

"The team shot 289 in practice on Wednesday and were excited to play this weekend. This team is capable of great things and we keep trying too hard to make it happen. I am still optimistic that this talented young team will put it all together and play great," said Augsburg head coach Ted Vickerman. "The guys teamed faced adversity this weekend and did the best they could. It started out with our captain, Alex Umland (JR, Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace HS), getting sick on Saturday on the course and having to withdraw from the tournament. So the team had to play with a man short on two difficult courses. Alex could not control that he got sick with the flu and felt terrible that he could not help out the team."

Joel Kociemba (JR, Andover, Minn./St. Francis HS) led the Auggies with an 8-over-par, 152 (76-76) total, tying for 10th overall in the 110-player field. 

"Joel had to face a little adversity when his 3-iron broke during the front nine on Saturday," Vickerman said. "He bounced back and a shot 2-under-par back nine and played very good on Sunday to finish tied for 10th."

Brian Deuel (SO, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) finished tied for 23rd with a 156 (77-79) total. Jason Henning (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) shot 163 (84-79) to tie for 68th, and Christopher Tobkin (FY, Willmar, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) finished with a 178 total.

"Brian Deuel played solid on Saturday. His consistent play allowed him to shoot 77 the first day and 79 the second. He almost drove the green on the par-4 third hole, which led to a birdie," Vickerman said. "Jason Henning hit 10 greens on Sunday and shot 79. He almost chipped in for eagle on the eighth hole and made a tap-in birdie. Then he threw a dart on the ninth hole and gridded out a score in the 70s."

Two Auggie players competed as individuals, with Terry Gibbons (SO, Westlake, Ohio) finishing tied for 33rd with a 158 total and Zach Johnson (FY, Sartell, Minn.) finishing with a 168 total. 

"The team would have liked to be able to sub in Terry into the fifth spot on the team," Vickerman said. "If we would have been able to do that, the team would have shot 318 and 311 and have a respectable tournament. The team tried hard and did their best."

Augsburg competes at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational next Saturday and Sunday (9/26-27) in Altoona, Wis.

Quotes from Augsburg players:

Terry Gibbons -- "I felt I played well on Saturday, even though my score didn't really show it. Messed up coming in and that led to the 81, but I hit the ball well all day just had a day where putts just weren't falling. I felt if I can hit the ball like that on Sunday, I would play well. Got out to shaky start, going 3-over in the first three holes, but came to the front side feeling I just need a couple of pars. I ended up shooting even par on the front side. I think the key was hitting all but one fairway on the front and only missing two greens. I played my last 15 holes 2-over-par and ended up with a 77. I was happy with the way I bounced back after a shaky start to the day.”

Joel Kociemba -- "Day 1: Terrible front-nine 42, but came back strong. I had three birdies on back nine. Hole 14 -- drove it to about 60 yards away and almost chipped in for eagle. I made birdie on 15 after a big drive of 385 yards. Hit 5-iron into the green and lipped out for eagle. Then made a birdie-2 on 17 after my shot ended up three feet from the pin. On 18, pushed a drive right into trees, hit a punch cut to the front edge. Then made a good two-putt from 80 feet to shoot 34 on the back nine. Day 2 – Chipped in for eagle on hole 8, 588-yard par-5. Also made birdie on hole 12 because I stuck a wedge to two feet and made birdie on 3. Made a 25-foot putt on 13 to save par on a difficult par-4 into the wind."