Red Wolves - IU East

RICHMOND, Ky. - You saw few smiles as the Red Wolves accepted the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's golf runner-up plaque.

The Indiana University East men's golf team had entered the KIAC meet on April 23 fully expecting to reclaim the league title they last won in 2008.

The Red Wolves instead settled for their second consecutive conference runner-up finish.

Brescia University repeated as KIAC champion with 36-hole score of 608 at Battlefield Golf Club.

The Red Wolves gave it their best shot, carding a 36-hole season-best 663.

The teams played all 36 holes on April 23.

"We're kind of disappointed," said IU East junior Nick Ary (Brookville, Ohio/Brookville High School), who led the Red Wolves with a 158 and was named to the KIAC all-conference team.

"We came in with high expectations, but Brescia just shot lights-out and we couldn't do anything about it."

Berea College finished third at 674. Cincinnati Christian University rounded out the field with a 689.

Brescia's Blake Shelton had his game in tune, carding a 146 to earn medal honors. Shelton shot one-under 71 in the second round, the lowest individual score for any KIAC player this spring.

Shelton edged Ary by two strokes for KIAC Player of the Year award. The honor was based on players' three best rounds this spring against KIAC competition.

Ary placed seventh in the KIAC tournament with rounds of 82 and 76.

"I played better the second 18 holes," said Ary, who played through back pain and dizzy spells during the first round. "The first round was a struggle to get through, but I had to fight through it."

IU East senior Mark Bevins (Hollansburg, Ohio/Tri-Village High School) finished 11th with a 162 in his final KIAC meet.

Bevins also played better in the second round, bouncing back from an 83 in the morning with a season-best 79 in the afternoon.

"I wanted to finish strong," said Bevins, who was KIAC medalist in 2008. "I wanted to take it in and relish the moment on the back nine one more time."

Freshman Zack Palmer (Richmond, Ind./Richmond High School) finished 12th at 164. Palmer led IU East with a season-best 79 in the opening round. He shot 85 in Round 2.

"Zack played better in this tournament than at any other tournament so far this season," said IU East coach Von Ebeling.

Freshman Derrick McNeely (Connersville, Ind./Connersville High School) finished 18th at 180. McNeely shot an 86 in the first round and a 94 in Round 2.

"One bad hole kind of hurt his hole score in the second round," Ebeling said. "His score doesn't reflect how well he played."

Freshman Brandon Loomis (Union City, Ind./Union City Community High School) finished 21st at 197. Loomis bounced back from a 104 in the first round with a 93 in Round 2.

IU East scorched the 6,313-yard layout at Battlefield in a pair of practice rounds before the KIAC meet, giving the Red Wolves hope for a conference championship.

Instead, IU East could only watch as a red-hot Brescia squad took home the championship plaque.

"The last couple of days we worked extremely hard in our practice rounds," Ebeling said.

"As a whole we are going to be disappointed going home because we tried as hard as we could to get as close as we could to Brescia, and it didn't work out."

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IU East will compete in an NAIA National Championships qualifying tournament April 29 and 30 in Blacklick, Ohio.