Bowling Green State University Athletics
Tommy Lopez Saves Best for Last, Finishes T-5th at MAC Championships
May 07, 2005 | Men's Golf
May 7, 2005
Westerville, Ohio - Bowling Green junior Tommy Lopez saved his best for last this weekend, finishing tied for fifth with a 72-hole score of 284 at the 2005 Mid-American Confernece Championship. The tournment, held at the Medallion Club in Westerville, Ohio, concluded on Saturday with Lopez tying his career-low with a 69.
As a team, the Falcons finished eight out of 10 teams with a 72-hole score of 1,169 (293-296-290-290). BGSU's two rounds of 290 to end the tournament were one off its season-low of 289. BGSU finished just eight shots back of 7th-place Northern Illinois (1,161) and nine shots back of sixth place Akron (1,160).
Kent State won the tournament with a 72-hole score of 1,119. KSU's Ryan Yip won the individual medalist honors with a score of 277 (63-72-71-71).
Lopez shot at or below his season-low the entire weekend with rounds of 72 on Thursday, a 71 on Friday, and a 69 on Saturday. Lopez, playing in his first MAC Championship, entered the weekend with a 77.00 average in just seven rounds played this season for the Falcons.
Fellow junior Chris Leake ended tied for 10th place with a 72-hole score of 286, just two shots back of Lopez. Leake shot a 72 on Saturday after recording rounds of 70-73-71 in the first two days.
Senior Craig Pickerel improved upon rounds of 78 and 79 on Thursday with rounds of 73 on Friday and 74 on Saturday, ending tied for 44th with a score of 304. Pickerel also earned the honor of being given the Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award as voted upon MAC coaches. Pickerel becomes the fifth Falcon to earn this award, joining Adam Balls (2004), Justin Gillham (2002), BGSU Coach Garry Winger (1994), and Dan Connelly (1984).
Junior Heath Ziglar finished tied for 46th with a score of 306 (73-76-75-82) while junior Dan McIntyre finished 50th with a score of 311 (79-75-82-75).
MAC Co-Golfer of the Year: Peter Laws (Kent State) and Ryan Yip (Kent State)
MAC Coach of the Year: Herb Page (Kent State)
MAC Freshman of the Year: Tommy Wiegand (Kent State)
Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award: Craig Pickerel (Bowling Green)
First-team All-MAC: Blake Sattler (Akron), Korey Mahoney (Eastern Michigan), Peter Laws (Kent State), Ryan Yip (Kent State), Tommy Wiegand (Kent State), Justin Bertsch (Toledo).
Second-team All-MAC: Wayne Denger (Ball State), Patrick Wilkes-Krier (Ball State), Matt Thomas (Miami), Nick Schenk (Northern Illinois), Ryan Siekmann (Ohio).
