PEORIA, ILL. - The Madison College golf team tee'd it up for the first time in over five months on Saturday and Sunday, opening the 2024 Spring schedule with 36 holes at the Cougar Preview, hosted by Illinois Central College at windy WeaverRidge GC. The WolfPack, who begin the spring ranked #24 in the NJCAA Division II Rankings via Clippd, finished in 8th place with a two-day total of 650 after posting back-to-back team scores of 325. Sophomore Brent Schmiesing was the top WolfPack individual with a 12th place finish in the 98-person field.

Madison College moved up and down the leaderboard throughout the weekend, reaching as high as fifth place during the opening 18 holes and dropping as low as 12th during the second day of play. The WolfPack managed to finish in 8th place both days, capping the weekend tied with Wartburg College. Augustana College Blue used the weekend's only sub-300 score on Saturday to propel the Vikings to a 600 (294-306) team score and an 11 shot win. Madison College was five shots back of Heartland Community College and three strokes better than Augustana College White. Of the Region 4 teams in the field, Black Hawk College's fourth-place finish was tops, followed by the WolfPack, Highland Community College in a tie for 11th, and a pair of Sauk Valley Community College teams in 15th and 16th places out of the 17-team field.

Schmiesing, a second year player from Fitchburg, Wisconsin, finished with an 11-over par 155 after playing a consisent 36 holes. He used one birdie and ten pars to post a 78 in Round 1, and then three birdies and eight pars for a Round 2 score of 78. Schmiesing, who finished the fall season with a 77.6 scoring average over 11 rounds, moved up eight spots from being tied for 20th midway through the tournament.

Sophomore Braeden Skifton made his return to the WolfPack golf team after not playing in the fall, but struggled through his first 18 holes to shoot 88 (+16) with one birdie and four pars. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, native, shot up the leaderboard on Sunday, carding two birdies and ten pars for a 77 to finish in 46th place with a 165 (+21). Fellow second year Brady Callmer also shot a 165 to finish in 52nd place based on the second 18 tiebreaker. Callmer was tied for 30th after an eight-over-par 80 that featured ten pars on Saturday, however, he signed off on an 85 (+13) with a birdie and seven pars.

Freshman Alex Sutter shot 82-86 to finish in 62nd place with a 168 (+24), and sophomore Tyler Koch, who like Skifton also returned to the golf team after not competing in the fall, took 74th overall with a 172 (+28/85-87).

New to the team this spring is former Madison College men's basketball player Peter Gustafson, who match Koch with a 172 (84-88) to take 75th place in his collegiate debut. The native of Monticello, Wisconsin, got off to a hot start on Saturday as he was tied for second through four holes at -1. His round and tournament turned on his 12th hole when he took the first of two 8's over the course of five holes. For the weekend, Gustafson finished with three birdies and 13 pars.

ICC Cougar Preview Final Results

Up Next:

Madison College will play another two-day, 36-hole event on Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2 with the Clarke University Spring Invite at Galena Golf Club. Play is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. both days in Galena, Illinois.

Follow WolfPack golf: Facebook | Twitter