WYOMING, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College men's golf team finished second at the MIAA Fall Tournament at L.E. Kaufman Golf Course.
After shooting 285 on Friday, Kalamazoo shot 292 on Saturday to finish at 577 overall, just nine strokes out of first place.
By finishing in the top overall this fall, Kalamazoo qualifies for the MIAA Spring Tournament where the winner advances to the NCAA III Championships.
Nick Ludka earned medalist honors Saturday with a two-day score of 137 (69-68). His round of 68 on Saturday is the second lowest score in school history.
Ludka finished the fall with an average of 70.8 in league play, the second best average in the league earning the senior All-MIAA First Team honors. Ludka previously earned All-MIAA First Team honors in 2016. His league average this fall is also the lowest in school history, beating out David Smith's 73.5 in the fall of 2016.
Ludka was also recognized with the MIAA's Men's Golf Sportsmanship Award. He is the third Hornet to receive this honor and the first since Brad Merritt in 2012.
Following Ludka on Saturday were Jackson Jones (73), Parker Pickell (74) and Travis Veenhuis (77).
"I couldn't be prouder of how our team finished the fall season," said Head Coach Mitch Wilson. "After a terrible day at The Medalist in the third MIAA Jamboree, the guys bounced back to average 291 our last three rounds, and help us take second place in the Fall Finish against a very strong field. We are extremely excited to be back in the MIAA Spring AQ Tournament, and we are already talking about preparation. LET'S GO HORNETS!"
"Nick capped off a great regular season career with Fall Finish medalist honors, first team All-MIAA, and the league sportsmanship award voted on by the coaches. Nick was under par for the six fall rounds, setting a K record with a 70.8 average. Nick and fellow senior co-captain Travis Veenhuis have led this team to a level that few teams at K have attained, and are legends in K golf history. I have been blessed to have them and their families as part of our program. I am looking forward to watching them compete in the spring!"