Washburn golf is headed to the NCAA Championship later this month after rallying for a fourth-place regional finish Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Senior Andrew Beckler and sophomore Griffin Mott led the way with final-round 67s as No. 18-ranked Washburn University's golf team rallied in Saturday's final round of the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo. to place fourth as a team and earn a berth in the NCAA Championship later this month.
Washburn started the day sixth as a team but rallied to earn the fourth and final Championship berth and are headed to its first NCAA Championship since the 2011-2012 season.
WU moved up four spots over the final two days of the tournament and closed out the regional tournament just two strokes behind third-place Arkansas Tech and four strokes behind second-place Indianapolis. The Ichabods shot 13 over par in the opening round, but improved to 4 over in the second round and 1 under par Saturday's third round to claw their way back.
Beckler, recently named the MIAA player of the year, finished the tournament tied for third place at 3 under par with a 54-hole title of .210 while Mott, also an All-MIAA pick, tied for sixth with an even-par 213.
Ian Trebilcock tied for 17th after a final-round 69 while Dawson Wills tied for 59th and Jackson Wexler 83rd.
Beckler is a Washburn Rural graduate and was an individual and Class 6A team champion for the Junior Blues.
The Ichabods will compete in the NCAA Championship May 17-21 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
