Kaleb Wilson and the West Virginia University golf squad successfully defended their title, clinching victory at the second annual Nemacolin Collegiate Invitational held at Mystic Rock Golf Course in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Read more: Wilson Leads WVU to Back-to-Back Nemacolin Collegiate Invitational Wins.
Day 1
The Mountaineers finished all 36 holes of the tournament, posting an impressive -21, leading James Madison by four strokes. The Dukes, among four teams, were unable to complete the second round due to nightfall and had to resume play on Tuesday.
West Virginia’s defending champion Kaleb Wilson finished day one at the top of the leaderboard at -8 (68-68), with teammate Ryan Leach finishing close behind at -6 (64-74). Nick Turowski finished tied for fourth at -5 (73-66). Westy McCabe (+1, 74-71) and Jack Michael (+2, 75-71) contributed to the Mountaineers’ team scores of 279 and 276.
Related: Nicco Marchiol Adds to Lengthy Injury Report for WVU
Playing as individuals, Gabe Schmitz finished in 14th place at -3 (73-68), while Aidan Dortch and Brody Burgess finished the day at +1 (73-72 each). Harrison Thompson posted +3 (73-74), and Carson Kammann recorded 83-78 for West Virginia.
Day 2
Kaleb Wilson shot rounds of 68-68-69 for a 205 total, finishing at 11-under-par to give West Virginia a commanding 36-under-par team performance, outpacing second-place Western Carolina by 18 strokes in a 19-team field.
Wilson, who claimed this title last year at 7-under, shared medalist honors this time with George Mason’s Vaughn McMeans. This victory marks Wilson’s second career win, making him the fifth Mountaineer in history to secure two individual titles.
Related: Five Keys for WVU to Bounce Back Against BYU
Nick Turowski secured his third straight top-five finish, taking third at -8 with rounds of 73-66-69 (208). Ryan Leach also cracked the top five, scoring -7 with rounds of 64-74-73 (209). Westy McCabe placed 14th at -4 (74-71-67=212), and Jack Michael rounded out the team’s effort in 19th at -2 (75-71-68=214).
Related: What BYU Needs to Do to Win.
As individuals, Gabe Schmitz tied for 19th at -2 (73-68-73=214), Aidan Dortch placed 31st at +1 (73-72-72=217), Brody Burgess finished 44th at +3 (73-72-74=219), and Harrison Thompson came in 69th at +9 (73-74-78=225).
Covich’s Comments On The Tournament
“I’m extremely proud of this team,” Covich said. “They work hard and fight for every shot. This was a team effort, everyone played a big role in this outcome and it was fun to watch. Obviously, Kaleb played great, coming up clutch in the closing stretch, but everyone had a great week that led to this performance.”
Up Next For West Virginia
The Mountaineers return to the course Monday and Tuesday for the Cullan Brown Collegiate in Lexington, Kentucky.
