Vikings finish sixth in the CCIW; go 113-82-2 head-to-head; Eric Swanson and Gabe Askam share MVP honors; Augustana places second at 32-team Midwest Region Classic, third among nine teams at Viking Fall Shootout and 4th of 15 at Clarke Fall Classic; Askam shares medalist honors at Viking Fall Shootout
 
Augustana posted a 113-82-2 head-to-head record in 24 rounds over 12 events in 2016-17 and finished the season ranked 114th in the nation by GolfStat.com. Coach Paul Del Vecchio's squad finished sixth at the CCIW Championship at Red Tail Run in Decatur, Illinois on May 5-6. The Vikings shot 314-318-302—934 at the conference meet, which was shortened from four to three rounds by inclement weather. The team's top performance came at the Midwest Region Classic at Eagle Ridge in Galena, Illinois on September 17-18. Augustana finished in a tie for second in a 32-team field, just two strokes back of champion Luther.
 
Other top performances for the Vikings included third place among nine teams at the Viking Fall Shootout at Fyre Lake in Sherrard, Illinois on October 15; fourth in a 15-team field at the Clarke University Fall Classic at Thunder Hills in Peosta, Iowa on September 25-26; and fourth among 11 teams at the Fighting Scot Invitational April 28-29 at Gibson Woods in Monmouth, Illinois.
 
Individually, junior Gabe Askam (Jacobs HS, West Dundee, Ill.) recorded Augustana's highest finish, carding a 75 to share medalist honors at the Viking Fall Shootout. He was also Del Vecchio's top performer at the conference meet, shooting 76-82-75—233 to finish in a tie for 24th. At the Clarke Fall Classic, senior Michael Jacobs (Aquin HS, Freeport, Ill.) finished fourth (74-77—151) and Askam 10th (74-81—155). Senior Eric Swanson (Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, Ill.) turned in eighth-place finishes at the Tim Kopka Memorial (68-79—147) and Midwest Region Classic (76-73—149).
 
Askam, who shared team MVP honors with Swanson, was Augustana's top scorer this year with an average of 78.3 strokes over 20 rounds in 10 events. His low round was a 73 on day two of the Prairie Fire Invitational.
 
Swanson's 78.7 average was third on the team. He played a total of 21 rounds in 10 events and had the Vikings' best individual round of the season with a 68 on day one of the Tim Kopka Memorial. He was 27th at the CCIW Championship, shooting 79-76-81—236.
 
Jacobs carried Augustana's second-best average at 78.6 over 21 rounds in 11 events. His third-round 72 at the CCIW Championships was the second-best by a Viking this year. He carded 83 and 85 in the first two rounds to finish tied for 29th at 240. Jacobs was selected as the Vikings' Most Improved Player this year.
 
Senior Tanner Obal (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) played a team-high 23 rounds in 11 events this year and averaged 79.3 strokes. His best round of 75 came on day two of the Midwest Region Classic. His highest finish was 17th at the Vikings Fall Shootout and he shot 82-79-81—242 to finish tied for 34th at the conference meet. Obal played a school-record 97 rounds in his career and his scoring average of 78.20 ranks 10th-best in school history.
 
Sophomore Alex Sierra (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) played 22 rounds in 11 events and logged an average of 80.1. His low round (75) and highest finish (tie for 14th) came at the Fighting Scot Invitational. He shot 80-81-77—238 to finish 28th at the CCIW Championship.
 
The team's Newcomer of the Year, freshman Cory Jayne (Blue Ridge HS, Farmer City, Ill.), averaged 82.0 strokes over 20 rounds in 10 events. Like Sierra, his low round of 75 and highest finish (tie for 14th) came at the Fighting Scot Invitational. Jayne shot 79-83-78—240 to tie for 29th at the conference meet.
  
2017 COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN CHAMPIONSHIP
May 5-6, 2017 *** Red Tail Run *** Decatur, Illinois
Par 72, 6891 yards
 

Rank	Team	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Total	Par
1	Illinois Wesleyan	292	293	285	870	6
2	Millikin	302	300	290	892	28
3	Carthage	304	299	292	895	31
4	Wheaton	300	314	293	907	43
5	Elmhurst	318	314	290	922	58
6	AUGUSTANA	314	318	302	934	70
7	North Central	333	327	313	973	109
8	North Park	345	333	328	1006	142
9	Carroll	358	344	340	1042	178

 

Rank	Player	Team	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Total	Par
1	O'Neil, Conner	Illinois Wesleyan	76	71	68	215	-1
2	Donovan, Kyle	Carthage	73	72	73	218	2
3	LeVine, Skylar	Illinois Wesleyan	74	75	70	219	3
t4	Buente, Blaine	Millikin	77	71	72	220	4
t4	Engelking, Drew	Wheaton	74	77	69	220	4
6	Pershing, Drew	Illinois Wesleyan	80	70	72	222	6
t7	Davis, Blake	Millikin	76	75	73	224	8
t7	Johnson, Ben	Illinois Wesleyan	72	77	75	224	8
t9	Nocek, Jonathan	Illinois Wesleyan	73	78	75	226	10
t9	Stewart, Alex	Carthage	76	75	75	226	10
t24	ASKAM, GABE	AUGUSTANA	76	82	75	233	17
27	SWANSON, ERIC	AUGUSTANA	79	76	81	236	20
28	SIERRA, ALEX	AUGUSTANA	80	81	77	238	22
t29	JACOBS, MICHAEL	AUGUSTANA	83	85	72	240	24
t29	JAYNE, CORY	AUGUSTANA	79	83	78	240	24
t34	OBAL, TANNER	AUGUSTANA	82	79	81	242	26

 
2016-17 AUGUSTANA SUPERLATIVES
AUGUSTANA TEAM FINISHES
11th – Carthage Tim Kopka Memorial (9/9-10/16, 24 teams)... 2nd – Midwest Region Classic (9/17-18/16, 32 teams)... 4th – Clarke Fall Classic (9/25-26/16, 15 teams)... 8th- Hopkins Collegiate Classic (9/30-10/1/2016, 16 teams)... 3rd – Viking Fall Shootout (10/15/16, 9 teams)... 14th – Arizona Christian Spring Invitational (2/20/17, 14 teams)... 8th – Prairie Fire Invitational (3/31/17, 19 teams)... 13th – Illinois Wesleyan Invitational (4/7-8/17, 21 teams)... 9th – Augustana Spring Invitational (4/14-15/17, 22 teams)... 12th – Weist Foundation Classic (4/21-22/17, 17 teams)... 4th – Fighting Scot Invitational (4/28-29/17, 11 teams)... 6th – CCIW Championship (5/5-6/17, 9 teams)
 
INDIVIDUAL TOP TEN FINISHERS IN INVITATIONALS
9/9-10/16 – Carthage Tim Kopka Memorial (T8th – Eric Swanson, 68-79—147)
9/17-18/16 – Midwest Region Classic (T8th – Eric Swanson, 76-73—149)
9/25-26/16 – Clarke Fall Classic (4th – Michael Jacobs, 74-77—151; T10th – Gabe Askam, 74-81—155)
10/15/16 – Viking Fall Shootout (T1st – Gabe Askam, 75)
 
CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Gabe Askam, Ben Groselak, Michael Jacobs, Cory Jayne, Dalton Love, Alex Sierra.
 
TEAM AWARDS
MOST VALUBALE PLAYER – Eric Swanson and Gabe Askam
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Cory Jayne
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – Michael Jacobs