Stromme Caps Career With MIAC Top 10
JORDAN, MInn. (10/07/19)---Senior Gage Stromme shot three rounds below 76 and finished seventh at the MIAC Championship Meet to earn MIAC All-Conference honors for the first time in his career.
Stromme's seventh-place finish helped Concordia place fifth as a team. The Cobbers ended the 54-hole competition with a total score of 914 (305-300-309) which was 16 shots clear of the next finisher and only two shots shy of a Top 4 finish.
The team score of 914 is the lowest by a Cobber team since the league started playing the conference tournament at the Ridges at Sand Creek GC in 2017. It is also the lowest team score at a MIAC Meet since the 2013 tournament when CC finished fourth with a team total of 912.
Stromme finishes his career by improving on his finish every season. He was tied for 43rd as a freshman in 2016 then moved into the Top 25 with a T23 finish as a sophomore. Last year Stromme barely missed out on a Top 10 finish, and All-Conference honors, when he finished in 11th place.
Stromme's seventh-place finish marks the 10th time in the last 11 seasons that Concordia has had at least one Top 10 finisher at the MIAC Meet.
Stromme started the tournament with an opening-round 73 on Sunday. He carded a 74 in the morning on Monday – in the first of 36 holes in the final day of competition. He then ended the meet with a 74 on Monday afternoon. His total of 222 (73-74-75) was only three shots out of a Top 3 finish.
The 222 total by Stromme marked the third time in the past four years that the top Cobber golfer at the MIAC finished with a score of 222.
Stromme excelled on the Par 5's in the three rounds. He was 6-under on the 15 par 5 holes during the weekend. That mark was tied for second best among all golfers at the meet. Stromme also had nine total birdies for the tournament which was tied for eighth most.
Concordia had two other first-time MIAC Meet golfers finish in the Top 20. Junior Tyler Bossert finished with a 3-round score of 229 in his very first MIAC Meet and was tied for 15th place while Mason Opheim was one shot back at 230 and finished in a tie for the No.20 spot.
Bossert's best round came on Monday morning when he fired a 74 and was even-par on the back side. Opheim also posted his best score of the tournament in the second round. He came home in 75 on Monday morning and was even-par on the front side.
Bossert was the model of consistency as he had 36 pars in the 54 holes. He had the third most pars of any golfer in the tournament. Opheim was one of only eight golfers in the tournament to record an eagle. He record his eagle by making a three on the 518-yard, Par 5 seventh hole in the third round on Monday afternoon.
Senior Blake Kahlbaugh completed his Cobber career by posting a total of 233 (78-77-78). He tied for 25th place to record his first Top 25 finish at a conference meet. His 233 total is also the lowest of his 4-year career at the MIAC Meet.
Nate Longtin was the final golfer of the Cobber tournament team. He started his first conference meet with an opening-round 79 but then closed on Monday with an 80 and 90 and finished at 249.
Cobber Men's Golf MIAC Championship Meet Top 10 Finishers Since 2009
2019 – Gage Stromme – 7th place (222)
2017 – Nathaniel Kahlbaugh – T6th place (222)
2016 – Cade Montplaisir – T3rd place (222)
2015 – Cade Montplaisir – T3rd place (220)
2015 – Landon Poss – T5th place (222)
2014 – Coy Papachek – 3rd place (222)
2013 – Landon Poss – 2nd place (223)
2013 – Sam Christian – T8th place (228)
2012 – Landon Poss – T8th place (227)
2011 – Pat Deitz – T10th place (228)
2010 – Andrew Whitchurch – 1st place (215)
2009 – Andrew Whitchurch – T6th place (225)
2009 – Pat Deitz – T8th place (226)