Benson Leads Cobbers' Day 2 Charge At Spring Opener
Concordia had all five players shoot lower scores on Day 2 at the Illinois Wesleyan Invite and was led by Gabe Benson who went 75-70 to finish in ninth place in a meet that featured 214 competitors.
NORMAL, Ill. (4/6/24)---Concordia shook off the rust of the winter break on Day 2 of the Illinois Wesleyan Invite to record a team score of 295, which moved the Cobbers up five spots from Day 1 and into a tie for 16th place in the final team competition.
Sophomore Gabe Benson started up where he left off last fall by leading Concordia and posting another Top 10 finish. Benson, who is currently ranked in the Top 20 of Division III, posted a 2-day total of 2-over 145 (75-70) to finish in ninth place in the final individual standings in a tournament that included 214 competitors.
The Cobbers opened the tournament by firing a team score of 314 on Friday in their first competitive round since the MIAC Meet at the start of October. Concordia bettered that score by 19 shots on Saturday to come away with a final score of 609.
All five of the Concordia players on their scoring team shot at least three strokes better on Day 2 of the meet.
Benson dropped five shots from Friday to Saturday as he came home with a 1-under 70 at the Weibring GC, which was tied for fifth among all golfers on Day 2. His round on Day included four birdies. He finished the tournament with a total of five birdies, was tied for 11th in scoring on Par 4s and tied for 13th on Par 5 holes.
Senior Sam Henke was the only other Cobber to finish in the Top 40 of the tournament. He carded a 2-day total of 150 (78-72) and tied for 33rd place. Henke's 6-shot improvement from the first round to the second round was the biggest drop by any Cobber. He recorded three birdies on Day 2.
Freshman Jack Hanson dropped four shots off his total from the first round on Saturday. He carded an 80 on Friday and then came home with a 76 on Day 2 to finish with a 156. Hanson had a birdie on each side of his round on Saturday.
Jayce Johnson and Ryan Jenson finished off the Cobber scoring team. Johnson opened with an 81 and the posted a 77 to card a tourney total of 158, while Jenson was one shot behind at 159 with an 81 and then a 78.
Justin Lamp and Landon Olson competed as individuals at the meet. Like Henke, Lamp improved his score by six shots from round to round. He started with an 83, posted a 76 on Saturday and finished at 159. Olson was the most consistent of any Cobber. He went 80-81 for a 2-day total of 161.
UP NEXT: Concordia will play in Nebraska next weekend in the second of four tournaments this spring. The Cobbers will compete at the Neb. Wesleyan Invite on Apr. 14-15 at the Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb.