Sports
By Hannah Wolke, Digital Communications Manager
Xavier’s men’s golf team kicked off April with two strong showings, highlighted by a top 10 team finish at the True Blue Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge and a first-place individual finish for senior Mason Witt at The Jewell, hosted by Northern Kentucky University.
From March 31 to April 2, the Musketeers competed in the True Blue Spring Challenge in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, finishing in eighth place with a three-round total of 857 (-7). The team opened the tournament strong, shooting a 277 (-11), putting them among the top contenders after day one. However, rounds of 289 (+1) and 291 (+3) over the next two days saw Xavier fall slightly in the standings, ultimately finishing 16 shots back of tournament champions St. John’s.
Despite the slip in team standing, the Musketeers showed plenty of promise throughout the event. They tied for best in the field on par 3s with an average of 3.01 and led the tournament in total pars with 177, tied with Georgia State. Xavier also recorded 51 birdies, the fifth most of any team in the field. However, Xavier struggled on Par 5s, where the team averaged 4.97 (-2).
The standout performer for the Musketeers was junior Carson Bellish, who earned a third-place individual finish with a three-round score of 207 (-9). Bellish came out strong with a first-round 67 (-5), followed by steady rounds of 70 (-2) on both days two and three.
Senior Mason Witt had a standout performance at The Jewell hosted by Northern Kentucky University where he claimed first place with a 36-hole score of 139 (-3).
The rest of Xavier’s lineup was rounded out by junior Zach Burton, who started strong but cooled off to finish T-27 at even-par (216), and sophomore Ray Filter, who placed T-33 at 217 (+1). Sophomore AJ Wilhelm finished T-44 at 219, and first-year Kellen Dean rounded out the lineup at T-74 (227).
Xavier followed up their performance at True Blue with a roadtrip to Batavia, Ohio, which senior Mason Witt claimed his first career collegiate title, winning the individual championship with a 36-hole score of 139 (-3). He shot rounds of 70 (-1) and 69 (-2) to edge out Wright State’s Shane Ochs 140 (-2) by one stroke.
Witt’s win came in a field of 83 golfers and marked his fourth career top 10 finish, but his first time atop the leaderboard. His consistency over both rounds made the difference, helping him secure the narrow victory.
Also competing for Xavier, AJ Adams placed T-6 with a score of 142 (E), followed by Leo Walling in T-29 (146, +4) and Kyle Smith in T-44 (148, +6). Xavier did not win the team title, which went to Wright State, who posted a combined 573 (+5).
The Musketeers will look to build on their momentum as they prepare for the Arkansas State Invitational, which began on Monday in Jonesboro, Ark.
Xavier will now turn its focus to the Big East Championship, where the Musketeers will wrap up their spring season. The event is scheduled for April 26–28 at Callawassie Island, S.C. With strong recent performances, the team will look to continue their momentum and finish the season on a high note.
