Baering Down! UCO Makes Final Eight

5/18/2011 7:03:20 PM

Dillon Rust

FLORENCE, Ala. (May 18) – Baer Aneshansley and Dillon Rust ignited an incredible late rally that lifted Central Oklahoma to a third-place finish after regulation play in the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships here Wednesday.

The No. 2-ranked Bronchos played the final four holes 10-under-par – with Aneshansley and Rust both going three-under – to finish at six-under 282 and vault to a tie for third in the final standings. It was the best 18-hole score of the week, with UCO ending up with an 881 total after 54 holes to secure a berth in the match play portion of the tournament.

The top-eight teams advance to match play that will determine the national champion, with four first-round matches and two semifinal matches set for Thursday before the championship finals on Friday.

Top-rated Lynn is the No. 1 seed after finishing first after three trips around the tough par-72 Robert Trent Jones at the Shoals Fighting Joe Course with an 864 total, 14 shots ahead of second-place Abilene Christian. UCO and Cal State-Monterey Bay tied for third, followed by Central Missouri (885), Newberry (890), Fort Lewis (894) and Barton (894).

The Bronchos lost a tiebreaker in finishing as the fourth seed and will take on Central Missouri in a first-round match starting at 7 a.m. Other first-round matches have Lynn taking on Barton, ACU meeting Fort Lewis and CSU-Monterey Bay playing Newberry. Click here to follow live scoring of the matches.

Aneshansley tied the best round of the tournament in shooting a career-best five-under 67, finishing with birdies on three of his final four holes. Andrew Green had two closing birdies in adding a two-under 70, Rust made three birdies down the stretch in shooting even-par 72, Josh Creel had back-to-back birdies in rallying for a 73 and Chris Muriana shot 78.

“I couldn't be more proud of how the guys responded and came through at the end,” UCO interim coach Michael Bond said. “We struggled a little early and were right on the edge there for a while, but the guys showed a lot of character and proved what they're made of coming down the stretch.”

The Bronchos were sixth entering the day and dropped to seventh after the front nine before surging on the back nine.

Aneshansley was consistent all day and made the turn at two-under 34 before staying there with five straight pars to start the back nine. He finished with a flourish, making birdie on the par-4 15th, par-5 17th and par-3 18th to come in with a 32.

Green was four-over through five holes after two early double bogeys, but came through big the rest of the way. The junior birdied Nos. 6 and 8 to turn at two-over 38 and then had four back-nine birdies to come in with a four-under 32 in finishing with his 70.

Rust also struggled on the front nine and made the turn at three-over 39 before making four birdies coming in – including three on the final four holes – to shot a back-nine 33 for his 72.

Creel birdied the ninth hole in shooting a front-nine 35, but a triple bogey on No. 12 and a bogey on No. 13 dropped him to three-over before he made two birdies in the final three holes to come in with a 38 and a crucial 73.

Green ended up third for third in the individual standings at three-under 213 while Aneshansley tied for 14th at 219.

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