METAMORA, ILL. - Freshman Brent Schmiesing played his best golf of the year Tuesday and Wednesday as Madison College opened the spring portion of the 2022-23 season with the 36-hole Cougar Classic, hosted by Illinois Central College at Metamora Fields Golf Club. The WolfPack fell from ninth place after Round 1 to finish 13th overall with a 655 (321-334) team total. Schmiesing was the top individual with a 157 two-day total that placed him in a tie for 24th overall.

Madison College played well the opening day, finishing with a 321 (+37) team score that tied for the third-best 18-hole total this season and had then in ninth place by just 18 strokes. A change in the lineup for Day 2 did not help as the Pack struggled to a 334 (+50) and dropped down to 13th with a 655 (+87) that was four shots back of Illinois College White and four ahead of Black Hawk College. Heartland Community College Blue won the event with a 595 (303-292/+27).

Schmiesing, a Fitchburg, Wisconsin, native, opened his tournament with an eight-over-par 79 that featured one birdie and nine pars and was tied for 26th. Wednesday's round came with a one-shot improvement to seven-over 78 with ten pars and a single birdie. Both rounds established new career-low rounds for Schmiesing, who signed off on a top round of 80 during the fall season. The Cougar Classic medalist was Mason Minkel of Heartland with a four-under 138 (71-67).

First year golfer Ethan Thomas posted the team's top round on Tuesday, opening the spring season with a five-over-par 76 that also marked a new career-best and put Thomas at a tie for 11th. The native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, tallied 13 pars, highlighted by seven on the front nine en route to a 37 that matched Schmiesing and Brady Callmer for the best nine-hole score over the two days. Thomas did not find the same level of success on Day 2 with six pars and one birdie to shoot an 86 (+15) for a two-day total of 162 for a tie for 37th.

Brady Callmer, a former Edgerton HS athlete, was the only other player to count scores towards the team total on both days. The freshman tallied a 167 (82-85/+25) final score to tie for 55th overall. Callmer had seven pars and one birdie on Tuesday, which included a 37 on the front nine, and followed with eight pars in the final round.

Four other players shuffled between competing as individuals and with the *team. Tyler Koch finished a shot better than Callmer with a 166 (*84-82/+24) and tied for 50th. Braeden Skifton, who was promoted from practice player at the semester break, made his collegiate debut with an 11-over-par 82, but struggled to an *89 on Wednesday for a 171 (+29) to tie for 68th. Sophomore Jake Rebholz went 87-*85 to sign off on a 172 (+30) to tie for 71st, while Matt Sitte's 173 (*89-84/+31) to for 74th overall despite the best individual improvement in scoring over the two-day event for Madison College.

Cougar Classic Final Results

Up Next:

Madison College will play another 36-hole event on Monday and Tuesday, April 3-4 with the Clarke University Spring Invite at Galena Golf Club in Galena, Illinois. The WolfPack last played in the event in 2021 and placed tenth overall. Tee times will begin at 9:30 a.m., with Madison College slated to begin at 10:08 a.m.

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