University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Krueger finishes third, Bears fifth at America Sky Championship
5/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
By LAURA VALLEN
UNCBears.com
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Northern Colorado men's golf team put together its lowest round of the tournament on Wednesday to finish in fifth at the 2013 America Sky Men's Golf Championship at Dominion Country Club.
The Bears shot a 292(+4) in the final round, but it wasn't enough to move them up the leaderboards after beginning the day tied for third. Their three-round combined team score for the tournament was 880(+16), just three strokes away from fourth place Sacramento State and nine from conference winner Houston Baptist.
"We didn't finish the way we wanted to and it was kind of a bittersweet day as we ended our season," Northern Colorado coach Chuck Scheinost said. "We just weren't really able to get birdies falling throughout most of the day. We will regroup this winter."
Huston Baptist took home the America Sky championship with a final score of 871 (+7), shooting a 289 (+1) on Wednesday. Southern Utah, which started the day in first, didn't shoot quite as well as they did Tuesday and fell to take second place overall finishing 10-over 874. Utah Valley shot the best round of the day 286(-2), which bumped it up from fifth to finish in third at 875(+11).
Northern Colorado junior Ben Krueger (Colorado Springs, Colo.) played one of his best tournaments of the season. After shooting a pair of even-par rounds on Monday and Tuesday, Krueger, who started the day in sixth, shot a 1-under 71 on Wednesday to finish tied for third place. Krueger tied with Hudson Hansard of Huston Baptist with each putting together scores of 215 (-1).
Krueger started off his round with two bogeys in the first five holes, but bounced back nicely, notching birdies on holes No. 7, 9 and 18 to finish under par. He went bogey free after the fifth.
"Ben actually had a chance to win the individual title," Scheinost said. "I'm very proud of Ben. He worked hard."
Sacramento State's Jordan Weir shot 1-under 71 to follow his 72 and 70 from the first two rounds to take the individual championship title. Preston Stanley from Huston Baptist shot 1-under 215 for the tournament and took second place.
Bears sophomore Steve Connell (Thornton, Colo.) finished in a tie for 14th after shooting 1-over 73 Wednesday. Connell recorded all pars until bogeying the 17th hole. He put together a final score of 220 (+4), just two strokes outside of a top-10 finish.
Connor Barr (Beaverton, Ore.), a freshman, shot a 3-over 75 in the final round and finished in a tie for 21st with a final score of 223 (+7). Barr was even after the front nine with a birdie and a bogey offsetting, but finished up +3 in the back.
Sophomore Charlie Mroz (Woodinville, Wash.) also carded a 3-over 75 and finished just one behind Barr with a final score of 224 (+8), good enough for 23rd. His day had a chance to look a lot different, playing even golf with the exception of the 11th hole, where he carded a triple bogey.
Northern Colorado sophomore Steven Kupcho (Westminster, Colo.) saved his best round of the tournament for last, shooting a 1-over 73 on Wednesday. He finished in a tie for 31st with a score of 227 (+11).
