CHARDON, Ohio | PORTAGE, Mich. -- The Kenyon College men's golf team could not have asked for a much better regular-season finale as the Owls orchestrated an impressive outing at John Carroll University's Caschera/DiCillo Classic. A day-two surge that saw Kenyon finish even helped the Owls pace the 13-team field and jump from third to first over the two-round tournament. Jonathan Oakes led the charge, claiming his first career medalist honors after turning in the only under-par card of the 78-golfer field and pacing the field.
The big day also included plenty of other solid finishes for the Owls. At the Caschera/DiCillo Classic, Adrian Jordan, Oliver McGovern, and Jaiden Koonar all joined Oakes in the top 10. The reserve team was also in action at the Steven Tyler Memorial Invite, hosted by Kalamazoo College, and Robbie Lifson turned in the best finish amongst three Owls competitors.
Oakes started the Caschera/DiCillo Classic strong, carding two eagles over the first 18 holes. He was the only player to fill in the circle more than once, and he also tied for first in par-3 scoring with a 2.88 average while posting the second-best par-5 scoring at a 4.38 average. The sophomore stayed locked in to start day two, booking birdies on five of the first nine holes. The consistent day-two scoring led to a two-under-par 70, and Oakes finished with a two-under-par 142 after shooting an even 72 on day one. The under-par finish marked the fourth time he's managed the feat over nine outings this season.
Jordan and McGovern finished tied for seventh in the individual standings as each Owl tallied a two-round score of 147. The duo matched each other in round scoring as well, carding 74s in round one before shaving a stroke and scoring 73s in round two. McGovern led all players with 28 pars, while Jordan tied for the third-best par-4 scoring average at 4.15.
Koonar followed right behind Jordan and McGovern, tying for 10th with a four-over-par 148. After firing a four-over-par 76 in round one, the sophomore settled in with an even-par 72 in round two. Armand Ouellette (T-27, 154) and Rafael Frias IV (T-33, 156) rounded out Kenyon's scores in the team's first in-state outing of the season.
A little further north in Portage, Michigan, Lifson, Connor Gray, and Brooks Cahill-Sanidas represented Kenyon at Kalamazoo's Steven Tyler Memorial Invite. Lifson led the trio and finished tied for 14th in the 43-golfer field. The sophomore was plus-14 over his round at the 6,831-yard, par-72 course, finishing with 86 strokes. Gray (89, +17) and Cahill-Sanidas (90, +18), a pair of first-years, finished a few strokes back, tying for 27th and 30th, respectively.
With the regular season officially in the books, the Owls will look ahead to the upcoming North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship. Kenyon will be looking to defend last year's crown as the team is on the hunt for a second straight NCAC Championship and third title over the last four seasons. The three-day, three-round tournament tees off on Friday, May 2, at the Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Indiana.
