Disc golf teams maintain edge at Flamethrower National Qualifier

Saturday, March 1

Lynchburg, VA

9:00 AM / 9:00 AM

Liberty University Club Sports

Liberty Flamethrower Regional Championship

Liberty senior Jonah Burdick sank a 25-foot putt on Sunday to give the DI men's team the tie-breaker over Milligan (Tenn.) University. (Photos by Ted Allen)

Disc golf teams maintain edge at Flamethrower National Qualifier

3/4/2025 6:14:00 PM | Disc Golf

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Liberty emerged as champions in three of the four divisions of Saturday's and Sunday's events played on its two home courses and at Ivy Hill Golf Club in Forest, Va.

Gallery: (3-4-2025) Disc golf Flamethrower 2025

Home course advantage favored Liberty University's men's and women's disc golf teams in this weekend's Flamethrower National Qualifier, where the Flames and Lady Flames won three of the four divisions — Division I and III Men's and Division I Women's — against a deep field of teams seeking to earn bids to the April 2-5 College Disc Golf National Championships in Rock Hill, S.C.

The DI Flames' top-flight team of graduate Tim Schmidt, seniors Jonah Burdick and Greyson Lifto, and freshman Addison Sells were tied for first place with Western Carolina after Saturday's rounds before finishing in a tie with Milligan at 27-under after Sunday's doubles play.

"The last round went back and forth," Liberty Head Coach Steve Bowman said. "We did well in singles, which kept us in range to play well at the end and maintain our lead, but it was back and forth. We gave up the lead and got it back before we went to a three-hole playoff, and Jonah Burdick hit a 25-foot putt to win it."

Eastern Mennonite finished third as a team at 24-under and received a national tournament bid after Liberty and Milligan qualified with their performances at Mid-Atlantic Regionals in New York in mid-October and SECO in February, respectively.

The tournament included singles and doubles rounds on the East Campus and Hydaway Outdoor Center courses on Saturday. A second doubles round was played on Sunday at Ivy Hill Golf Course, which was one of the courses featured during the PDGA World Championships in August.

"We haven't played our home courses for a while," Bowman said. "The last time the Flamethrower was on campus was in 2022, so it was good to get them up and running again with all that work going on with New London Tech's (world championship course) under construction."

"Then on Sunday, we didn't have as much (out of bounds) as they had for Worlds, so it was fun to play (Ivy Hill), but still very challenging," he added, noting the women used the same tees and basket placements on the extremely long course with great elevation change.

In singles play Saturday on East Campus, Schmidt (minus-7) placed fourth at the DI level while junior Evan Riley (-1) came in eighth at the DII men's level, and graduate Grace Wilson (plus-4) finished third among DI women, with no DIII men's singles played.

The Lady Flames' top tandem of Wilson and senior Cami Lazo built on their six-stroke lead after Saturday's play to finish first as a team at plus-7. That was eight strokes in front of Milligan and Liberty's second tandem of senior Brianna Bowman and junior Beth Castiglione (plus-15), which tied for second, well ahead of UNC Chapel Hill (plus-33).

Liberty's Division II men's team of senior John Weathersby, and juniors Theo Lach, Riley, and Kyle Sennett finished 14 strokes behind Cincinnati (minus-23) and six back of Milligan (-15) in third place at 9-under. Meanwhile, the Flames' DIII team of sophomore Andrew Hathaway, senior Christian Wilson, junior Jacob Pollard, and senior Ethan Burgin finishing first at 19-under.

Its second DIII squad of seniors Noah Burchett and Brennan Siwecki, sophomore Luke Willer, and freshman Ben Mathews finished five strokes back in second place at 14-under, with sophomore Mitchell Lange subbing in Willer on the second day.

"Some of the top contenders were here, so we got a good glimpse of where we are and what we need to do to compete at nationals," Coach Bowman said.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Club Sports Video & Media