Sub-300 Squad Strikes Again At SJU Fall Invitational

SARTELL, Minn. (9/17/23)---Make it four straight and five of the past six for the Cobbers. Concordia capped off a busy stretch of competition by posting its fourth consecutive sub-300 team total and finished second at the St. John's Fall Invitational.

The Cobbers have shot better than 300 in five of their past six rounds and posted Top 2 team finishes in their last two events.

Concordia started the 2-day tournament with a 297 at the St. Cloud Country Club on Saturday and backed it up with a 294 at Blackberry Ridge GC on Sunday. The team total of 591 is the lowest 2-round total of the season and eight shots better than they scored at last year's SJU Fall Invite.

The Cobbers finished 14 shots clear of the third-place team in a meet that featured 13 squads – and six MIAC schools.

Concordia also lowered their team scoring average to 299.1, which is in the Top 5 of the MIAC this season.

Senior Sam Henke and sophomore Gabe Benson led the Cobbers over the weekend. The pair carded identical totals of 142 and tied for third place in the individual standings. Henke opened with a 1-over 72 on Saturday and then fired a 2-under 70 on Day 2 to finish at -1 for the tournament. Benson's scorecard was the opposite of Henke. He opened with a 70 and then shot even-par 72 on Sunday.

The two continue to lead Concordia in scoring in 2023. Benson is atop the Cobber scoring chart with a 72.5 average, while Henke is second at 75.3. Benson, who has finished in the Top 5 in three of CC's four meets this year, is seventh in the MIAC scoring.

Mason Plante and Jayce Johnson were the scoring team's No.3 and No.4 finishers for the two days. They were within one shot of one another, with Plante carding a 153 (76-77) and Johnson coming home at 154 (79-75). Both players posted Top 25 finishes for the meet.

Johnson is third on the team in scoring this season, with a 76.4 average in 10 rounds.  

Justin Lamp, competing as an individual for the weekend, shot the third-lowest total for Concordia. He opened with a 75 and then posted a 76 at Blackberry Ridge.  

Ryan Jenson and Jack Hanson were the final two members of the Cobber crew for the weekend. Jenson was also playing as an individual and went 77-81, and Hanson, who won the Jamestown Classic earlier in the week, recorded scores of 82 and 79.

UP NEXT: Concordia will compete in the Twin Cities Classic on Sept. 23-25 in their final meet before the MIAC Championship Meet.