Liberty University Club Sports
Liberty Flamethrower Championships
Disc golfers clinch national bids at annual Flamethrower, played on nearby pro courses
3/6/2023 5:09:00 PM | Disc Golf
Liberty University's disc golf team claimed titles in all four divisions of its annual Flamethrower Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, qualifying its Division I, II, and III men's teams and two women's tandems for the April 5-8 College Disc Golf (CDG) National Championships.
The Flamethrower was held off campus for the first time, with the 144 individual players competing on three courses in Bedford County, Va. That included two professional courses that will host the 2024 PDGA World Championships — one at Ivy Hill Golf Club and one at New London Tech, a gold-level course designed by four-time world champion Paul McBeth.
"Ivy played out really well and they loved it," Flames Head Coach Steve Bowman said. "These courses are definitely a lot longer, though not as tight as what we'll see at nationals (at the North Cove Social Club and Disc Golf Course in Marion, N.C.) so I think we'll be really prepared for that. They made us play smarter."
Senior Clayton Lewis was the overall singles champion Saturday at Ivy Hill Golf Course in Forest, Va., firing a 10-under-par 59 total, with Division I teammates Jonah Burdick (seventh, 2-under 67), a freshman, graduate captain Spencer Ellingson (tied for 11th, 1-under 68), and junior Triston Lambert and Division II sophomore Greyson Lifto (tied for 15th, even-par 69) placing in the top 15.
In doubles play, the Flames' four Division I players combined for a round of 55 in doubles play at Ivy Hill to win by five shots over a team from UNC Chapel Hill before firing a 62 at New London to win by one stroke over North Carolina State. Liberty's Division II squad featuring freshman Evan Riley, graduate Andrew Sherwood, senior Tim Schmidt, and Lifto finished tied for seventh with a round of 64 at Ivy Hill and finished in fourth place overall after firing a 65 at New London.
The Wolfpack's DI team had already earned a national qualifying bid, so besides the Flames' DI and DII qualifying teams, teams from the University of Kentucky and Houghton (N.Y.) University also received bids. In men's Division II, Liberty was joined by NC State, Bowling Green, and Eastern Mennonite University for the four national bids.
Liberty's Division III champions were seniors Luke Pegram and Sam Vilcek, junior Logan Wise, and sophomore John Weathersby, which held off two other Flames quartets and foursomes from NC State for the team title.
Competing against pairs from EMU, Lady Flames senior Julia DiMartino and sophomore Maggie Presley captured the women's title. They tied for first place in singles at 14-over 82 at New London and teamed up to shoot 3-over 71 in doubles play at New London and 6-under 52 at Falling Creek Park in Bedford.
Complete results are available online.
Liberty will send its top DI and DII men's teams to compete at this Saturday's and Sunday's Southeast College Open, another national qualifying event played at International Disc Golf Center in Appling, Ga., site of the 2019 PDGA U.S. Championships.
There, the Flames will challenge a total of 244 players from Alabama, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Auburn, Augusta, Central Florida, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Louisiana State, Milligan, NC State, North Alabama, Northern Kentucky, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, South Alabama, Southern Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Welch College, Western Carolina, and Western Kentucky, among others.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
Players Mentioned
