April 29, 2006

ASBURY, IOWA . . . Wartburg College won its second Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) men’s golf Championship in three years by shooting the lone sub-300 round (297) on the day round of the 2006 Championship at the Meadows Golf Club in Asbury on Saturday. A close Tournament throughout as the largest team lead after any of the first three rounds was two strokes, turned into a 15 stroke victory for the Knights behind the top-four finishers including Medalist Ryan Kinseth.

Despite shooting his highest round of the Tournament, a 77, Kinseth finished with a 5-over-par 293 (71-74-71-77) to take the individual title by two strokes over teammate Blake Halvorsen (75-74-76-70--295). Aaron Miller, Kevin Ault and Luther’s Ed Witkowski all finished at 296. Following a playoff, Miller finished third, Ault fourth and Witkowski fifth, giving Wartburg the top-four individuals, believed to be the first time that feat has been accomplished in Conference history. Kinseth also earned Conference Most Valuable Player honors. Ault became the seventh IIAC golfer to earn All-Conference honors (currently a top-10 finish) four straight years, the first since Luther’s Tory Hart from 1997-2000.

Central College shot a 311 on Saturday to finish second with a 72-hole score of 1195. The Dutch also placed four golfers in the top-10 led by sixth-place finisher Derek Deminsky (298). Cole Reiman finished seventh (299), Alvaro DeCosio lost a playoff and finished ninth (302), followed by Andy Petersen (10th, 304).

Luther College, the leader after 36-holes, was in third-place after 18-, 54- and 72-holes shooting a final round 319 and finishing at 1206. Witkowksi (fifth) and Ben Hanson, who won a playoff to finish eighth (302), both earned All-Conference honors. Buena Vista University (1237) finished fourth led by an 11th-place finish by Josh Reed (305) and defending Champion Loras College (1256) finished fifth led by a t-16th-place by Adam Luehmann (309).

Coach of the Year: Luther head coach Scott Fjelstul was named Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Norse to a third-place finish, its highest finish since placing second in 2003. It is the sixth time since 1995, and first since 1999, Fjelstul has been honored as Coach of the Year.

Complete men’s golf Championship results are here.

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