April 1, 2008

Murfreesboro, Tenn. - The Southern Miss men's golf team shot a final round 295 to finish with 878 strokes and a fourth-place finish at the Middle Tennessee/Aldila Intercollegiate. The tournament, which was hosted by Middle Tennessee State, was played at the Old Fort Golf Course in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Sophomore Wes Carter shot a one-over par final round 76 to finish with 217 strokes and a tie for seventh place. It is his highest finish of the season.

Junior Rocky Cleland and redshirt sophomore Paul Apyan shot a 75 and 73, respectively, to finish with a three-over par 219 and a tie for 11th-place. The finish is Apyan's highest of the spring season.

Sophomore Alex Park and senior Kyle Ramey rounded out the scoring. Each finished in a tie for 37th-place (227), as Park shot a final round 75 and Ramey closed with a 72.

Host school Middle Tennessee State won the team competition with a five-over par 869, seven strokes ahead of second place finishers Arkansas-Little Rock and Austin Peay (876). Southern Miss finished in fourth-place with 878 strokes and Texas State finished in fifth with 881 strokes.

Troy and Western Kentucky tied for sixth place with 884 strokes. North Texas closed with 886 strokes to finish in eighth, followed by Jacksonville State (892), Oakland (918) and Connecticut (930).

Austin Peay placed the top two golfers in the individual competition. Grant Leaver won the tournament with a five-under 211, and Erik Barnes shot a two-under 214 to finish second.

Southern Miss returns to the links next week, when they travel to Oxford, Miss. for the Bank of America Intercollegiate, hosted by Ole Miss. The tournament takes place next Monday and Tuesday, April 7-8, at the Reunion Golf and Country Club.