Cobbers Justify Tying A School Record
Concordia tied a school record by shooting a team total of 282 and won the season-ending Bobby Krig Invite by two shots.
NEW PRAGUE, Minn. (5/05/18)---If the Cobbers were a racehorse on Kentucky Derby Saturday they would have been Justify.
Like the derby winner, Concordia raced away from the field by tying a school-record 282 and won the one-day Bobby Krig Invite held at the New Prague GC.
The Cobbers finished with a final team total of 282 (-2) which is the third time in program history that Concordia has posted that team score. CC also did it in the fall of 2014 at the season-opening Concordia Invite and the first-ever school record of 282 came at the Jamestown Invite at the start of the 2009 campaign.
The Cobbers bettered a field which featured five other MIAC schools and perennial region power Wis.-Eau Claire. Concordia's final total was two shots better than the Blugolds and 15 shots ahead of the next MIAC team.
The victory marks the first time Concordia has won a multi-conference team meet since they captured the Twin Cities Classic in October of 2011.
The Cobbers had three players shoot under par on the par 71, 6402-yard course. Nathaniel Kahlbaugh, Blake Kahlbaugh and Gage Stromme all shot 2-under 69s and finished in a tie for second place.
The 69 for Nathaniel Kahlbaugh marks the second time this spring he has shot under 70. He fired a 68 last weekend at the Cobber Spring Match-Up. He two sub-70 scores bring his final season average to 75.4 which is a team best and also the lowest of his career. His previous career best came in his freshman season when he averaged 77.8 in his 18 rounds.
Nathaniel Kahlbaugh's second-place finish was also the fourth time this season he has finished in the Top 20 at a meet.
The 69 put up by both Blake Kahlbaugh and Stromme are collegiate bests and are the first time the two have broken 70 in their two seasons in maroon and gold. Blake Kahlbaugh's previous collegiate best came as a freshman when he shot a 72 at the Twin Cities Classic while Stromme had posted a 74 in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons for his career low.
Jared Lind was the final member of Concordia to have his individual score count for the team total. He came home in 75 but could have been lower if he didn't triple bogey his final hole of the day.
Aaron Ryback rounded out the Cobbber contingent at the meet by finishing with a 78.
WHAT'S NEXT: The even better news for Concordia is that they should be able to carry their school-record momentum into next season. The Cobbers return all five players from the team that won the Bobby Krig Invite.