The Oswego State men’s golf team travelled to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, last weekend, to compete in The Gauntlet at the Bucknell Golf Club.

The Lakers contended with more than a dozen squads from across Div. III, and ended up tying with York College for the eighth spot after two days of action.

The Lakers opened play on Sep. 21, and while they faced some adversity, a strong and consistent individual performance from frontman Sam Ligas kept things competitive. Ligas posted a +2, which gave him a ninth place finish – tied with Luke Sands of Mount Aloysius – while the next man up, Jack Shaw, gave himself the 17th place as he shot +4.

Tyce Helmick provided further assistance, as the junior delivered a +5 to tie with five others at 35th place. Both Justin Alvord and Evan McDonald put forth balanced performances, as Alvord shot a +9, and McDonald, a +17.

Drew University came out on top after a powerful day one as the Rangers put a +7 on the board. Franklin & Marshall College captured second place with a one point advantage over third-place Farmingdale State College, while the Lakers put on an impressive team showing with a +20 to place eighth – building themselves a strong reputation heading into the final day of the event.

The squad stayed consistent on Sep. 22 as the Lakers put up a +27, which landed them in the same spot as the day before, in eighth; however, this time, they were tied with York College, who delivered a +28. Drew University showed out once again with a +5 to finish first overall, while Farmingdale State College displayed resilience and climbed to second place with a +6. Franklin & Marshall College rounded out the top three with a +10, but the Diplomats dropped a spot from day two and finished third.

Ligas remained the pack leader for the Lakers, finishing strongly with a +5 to put him in 15th place, tied with two others after a consistently impressive two days. Helmick and Shaw kept on the right path as Helmick recorded a +7 to tie at 29th, while Shaw, a +9, to tie at 35th. It was the same story for Alvord and McDonald as the two put on performances that nearly replicated their day one outings. Alvord came through with a +6, while McDonald struggled to find consistency and put up a +14 to wrap things up.

Following a team effort at The Gauntlet, the Lakers returned home to prepare for the annual Oswego Fall Invitational, which takes place this weekend, on Sep. 27 and 28 at the Oswego Country Club. The Lakers placed second overall in the event last year, spearheaded by standout performances from Rowen Lynch and Michael Douglas. The new duo in town, Ligas and Shaw, look to build on their already-established momentum, and have their names heard as they charge into the Empire 8 Fall Championships – which run through Oct. 12 and 13.