Disc golfers save par at CDG Nationals paced by DI men’s team’s sixth-place showing
4/11/2023 3:45:05 PM | Disc Golf
Liberty University’s Division I men’s disc golf team rose from a 17-way tie for 29th place after the second day of the College Disc Golf (CDG) National Championships at North Cove Social Club in Marion, N.C., to sixth place out of 63 teams with a 22-under-par 224 total after Saturday’s fourth and final round.
The Flames, led by graduate Spencer Ellingson, senior Clayton Lewis, junior Triston Lambert, and freshman Jonah Burdick, shot the third-lowest doubles score on Saturday (56) to finish eight strokes behind team champion Cincinnati and one shot behind fifth-place Clemson. The Tigers overtook the Flames with a birdie approach shot approximately 200 feet from the final basket.
Lewis tied for 12th (even-par 107) and Lambert tied for 15th (1-over 108) out of 253 players in the DI men’s singles competition.
“We were 10 shots down coming into that two-day stretch,” Liberty Head Coach Steve Bowman said. “We were locked down and closed that gap pretty good. But falling so far behind from the start puts pressure on you to execute fully and we didn’t have all four players clicking together.”
The Flames’ defending national champion Division III men’s C team came in third at 21-under 204 after losing a tiebreaking shootoff with North Carolina State’s C team, which was runner-up to the Wolfpack’s D team. Liberty featured freshman Jonathan Bennett, senior Sam Vilcek, and sophomores Christian Wilson and Kaden McInerney.
“We went to a shootoff and were in a good spot but had to run a difficult putt and NC State (D team) won it,” Bowman said.
Liberty’s E team finished fourth out of 42 teams at 17-under 208. Sophomore Tyler Staub had the best showing in singles play in 26th place at 4-over 99.
Liberty’s DII men’s team of senior Tim Schmidt, graduate Andrew Sherwood, sophomore Evan Riley, and freshman Greyson Lifto tied for 14th out of 51 teams at 3-under 238. Individually, Schmidt came in 14th out of 201 singles players at 2-over 101.
“By taking off a couple strokes, they could have jumped into the top 10,” Bowman said. “They struggled in the weather. It was not super windy, but there was a constant rain on Friday and Saturday that made it difficult to get low scoring and jump spots. Perfect shots were hard to come by.”
In women’s singles action, senior Julia DiMartino and sophomore Maggie Presley tied for 11th and 20th, respectively, out of 59 players. That duo also teamed up to place third out of 27 tandems at 5-over 233, just six strokes out of first.
“Out of four rounds, our ladies got two of the hot rounds,” Bowman said of firing the low doubles scores on those days. “Both of them were pushing for top 10 (in singles) and just missed the All-America cut. Their scores were really good, and they played well together in doubles. They really complement one another because their shots are so different. With one backhand- and one forehand-dominant player, they are able to cover the whole course, and if a shot favored one of them, they were attacking and going after it.”
Complete results are available on the CDG nationals website.
“I was super proud of how all of our teams played,” Bowman said. “We’re strong as a team, in the top of the hunt for the fight for championships. None of our teams were able to get one in any of the divisions, but when you have over 730 players representing over 100 schools, tournament play is getting tougher and the level of competition is becoming higher.”
He said the margin for error has gotten much smaller as the popularity of the sport has taken off.
“You have to be playing strong and executing as a team (to win at nationals),” Bowman said. “When you don’t get there, it’s going to be heartbreaking, and tough for all of the time put in. We have the talent and the quality of players, but haven’t been able to win it at the highest levels. When we do, it will be a glorious day.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer