DECATUR, Ill. - Battling tough weather conditions on Saturday morning at the Take Back the Night Challenge, the Carthage Firebirds dropped a few spots in the final standings - after an impressive day one - to take ninth out of 18 teams.
Alex Lilly shot a season-low 70 on day one to pace the Firebirds, while
Colton Sigel shot a career-low 71 on day two to do the same. Despite the team's ninth place finish, only nine strokes separated Carthage and the No. 5 team in the final standings (Illinois Wesleyan; 589).
- Result: Ninth place out of 18 teams
- Location: South Side Country Club - Decatur, Illinois
- 1. Parkland - 288 + 288 = 576 (+4)
- 2. Illinois Wesleyan - 288 + 290 = 578 (+6)
- 3. Rose-Hulman - 289 + 295 = 584 (+12)
- 4. Millikin - 294 + 291 = 585 (+13)
- 5. Illinois Wesleyan - 289 + 300 = 589 (+17)
- 9. Carthage - 294 + 304 = 598 (+26)
"Overall, it was a solid tournament. Anytime you break 600 in a two-day event, you are playing some good golf," remarked Carthage College director of golf and head men's golf coach
Jay Christiansen.
"Being tied for fifth after round one and only six shots out of first, we were hoping for more but we didn't handle the cold and the wind on Saturday like we hoped."
"Alex and Jared played very good golf on Friday and Colton put together his best college round on Saturday. We are continuing to make some gains, getting more consistent, getting more confident, gradually gaining the maturity needed to be really good at this level."
- Carthage will play the role of host before the CCIW Men's Golf Championship in early May. The Firebirds will host the Firebird Spring Invite, though a date has yet to be set after the original event date was moved.
