BYRON, ILL. - Monday's final round of the 2023 NJCAA Region 4 Division III Men's Golf Tournament brought a good news, bad news type of day for the Madison College golf team. The good news was the continued play of freshman
Brent Schmiesing, who matched his three-over-par 75 on Sunday to take the individual medalist honors by four shots to qualify for nationals. The bad news was that the WolfPack, who owned a two-shot lead following Sunday's 18 holes, were overcome by the College of DuPage and lost the team title by four strokes.
Schmiesing, a native of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, posted back-to-back sub-80 rounds for the second time this spring with a pair of career-low 75's. He was ahead of three others heading into Round 2, and was able to increase his lead with a final tally of six-over 150. The former Madison Country Day Co-op athlete becomes the ninth player in program history to take medalist honors in a region tournament, and the first since Carter Simon in the 2018-19 season. He is the 72nd WolfPack golfer to earn All-Region accolades, and becomes the 21st player to school history to qualify individually for the national tournament. The last was Evan Wartgow in 2010-11, which ended with a national runner-up finish.
Schmiesing and his Madison College teammates combined for a 316 team score on Sunday, which tied for their second-lowest 18-hole team total of the season. The WolfPack improved by two shots for a new season-best 314 on Monday for a 630 score, however, the three-time defending Region 4 champion Chaparrals improved by ten strokes to shoot 626 (318-308) and secure their fourth consecutive title. Rock Valley College was third with a 653 (335-318). The 630 for Madison College also marks the team's best 36-hole score of the season, and the program's best since the fall of 2021.
Fellow freshman
Ethan Thomas was hot on Schiesing's heels after Sunday, sitting in a three-way tie for second with a five-over 77 for his fourth round under 80. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native was unable to keep the momentum going, and struggled to an 86 (+14) on day two.
Tyler Koch, a transfer from UW-Eau Claire and former Winneconne HS athlete, signed off on rounds of 80 (+8) and 83 (+11) to match Thomas at 163 (+19) and tie for eighth place overall. The duo was one shot back of the final spot on the All-Region team.
The WolfPack threw out
Brady Callmer's opening round 86 (+14), but the first year player recovered - along with the weather - to post a seven-over-par 79 on Monday, giving the Edgerton, Wisconsin, product six rounds better than 80 this season. The round ended with a bang, as it included a hole-in-one with an eight iron on the 173-yard 17th hole to mark the first Madison College ace in a region tournament since Wartgow in 2009.
Madison College also shifted their roster during the tournament in hopes of finding the right combination. The WolfPack counted an 84 (+12) from
Braeden Skifton on Sunday, and season-best five-over-par 77 by sophomore
Jake Rebholz, who was an all-region player at last season's tournament.
2023 NJCAA Region 4 Division III Men's Golf Tournament Final Results
Up Next:
Madison College's
Brent Schmiesing, along with the College of DuPage, will compete at the
2023 NJCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships at Chautauqua Golf Course in Chautauqua, New York. The event runs June 6-9.
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