At the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational in Vero Beach, Florida, on Oct. 15 and 16, the Kent State men’s golf team placed eighth out of 16 teams.
Junior Jordan Gilkison made his second top-ten finish of the season, tying for ninth among the 84 golfers.
Gilkison played three consecutive rounds of at least two under par over the tournament to finish at eight under par.
“He works hard and does all the right things,” coach Jon Mills said. “He’s a guy that really wants it, and it shows when he’s playing. He has shown that consistency all season. It’s just that competitiveness in him.”
Junior Bryce Reed and redshirt senior Chris Vandette followed Gilkison, tying for 32nd at two under par.
Vandette struggled in the first round but came back with a team-leading round of 67 to square away his game.
“He has been a little inconsistent this year,” Mills said. “He probably expects to be better and has had some really good results, then some not so good.”
Reed shot 71-72-71 for an overall score of 214.
“Bryce has continued to make strides, and there is so much talent there,” Mills said. “He is able to get three or four under during a round of golf, and he has just not quite learned to finish it off. Once he figures that out, I think he is going to be really good.”
The women’s teams placed 10th out of the 16 teams at the Mercedes-Benz Invitational in Knoxville, Tennessee, which ran from Oct. 15 to 17.
Sophomore Leon Takagi placed third for the second tournament in a row. This marked Takagi’s third top-ten finish in five tournaments this fall.
She shot four over par through the front nine but surged on the back nine with five birdies in seven holes. She tied for a tournament-best seven under par fives.
Freshman Veronika Kedronova and senior Berta Sanchez also placed in the top 40.
This is the end of the fall season for Kent State’s golf teams.
The men’s team will return to action on Feb. 12-13, competing in the Hal Williams Invitational in Mobile, Alabama. The women’s team will compete in the UCF Challenge from Feb. 4-6.
Emily Lowen is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
