Wittenberg Takes over 1st in NCAA DIII; St. John's Olson Is T12

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. -- Sam Olson of St. John's bogeyed the first hole he played on Thursday at the NCAA Division III Championships, but he made up for it with three birdies in a row on the way to an even-par 72 at the Mission Resort & Club, as he moved up seven places into a tie for 12th at 221.

The junior from Sioux Falls started his round with a bogey on the 10th hole, a 540-yard par-5. That's a Cardinal Sin for a tournament golfer, but Olson redeemed himself with birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th holes. His 72 was the third-best score of the day.

Sam Hill of Texas @ Tyler turned in the day's best effort, a 70, and that elevated him into a tie for first, along with Brad Lankler of Franklin & Marshall. He shot 72. Both Hill and Lankler will go into Friday's final round with 54-hole totals of 217. They are one ahead of Hill's teammate George Toone, who shot 71, Huntingdon's Stephen Shephard (74) and Cameron Willis (75) of Wittenberg. Huntingdon's Addison Lambeth, who led after each of the first two rounds, could do no better than a 78, and he's tied for sixth at 219.

The Huntingdon team also slipped, from first to third with a 306 that put its team aggregate at 890. Wittenberg put together a 299 and now has a two-shot lead at 887. Guilford is second at 889.

St. John's was tied for 15th at the beginning of the day. It ended the day alone in 15th, after a 310, which put the Johnnies' three-day tab at 924.     


MEN'S COLLEGE GOLF 

NCAA Division III Championships

At Mission Inn Resort & Club

El Campion Golf Course -- par 72, 6,844 yards

Las Colinas Golf Course -- par 72, 6,888 yards

Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. 

Third-round results 

1. Wittenberg                     298-290-299--887

2. Guilford                          300-293-296--889

3. Huntingdon                    293-291-306--890

T4. Greensboro                 300-297-294--891

T4. Texas & Tyler               296-305-290--891

6. Hope                              306-299-298--903

7. Mary Hardin-Baylor       304-298-305--907

8. Methodist                      301-304-303--908

T9. Rhodes                        296-306-307--909

T9. Illinois Wesleyan          304-310-295--909

11. Washington & Lee        300-306-306--912

T12. Claremont Mudd Scripps  301-310-303--914

T12. LaGrange                    296-309-309--914

14. Emory                            303-307-305--915

15. St. John's (Mn.)             309-305-310--924

16. Williams                         314-299-318--931

17. Webster                         304-315-319--938

T17. Pacific Lutheran           314-305-325--944

Missed cut 
  
19. Concordia (Texas)          311-309--620

20. Franklin & Marshall        313-308--621

21. Christopher Newport      297-325--622

22. Transylvania                   304-319--623

23. Oglethorpe                     298-326--624

24. St. John Fisher               313-318--631

25. Babson                           322-310--622

Individuals 

T1. Sam Hill, Texas @ Tyler                   74-73-70--217

T1. Brad Lankler, Franklin & Marshall    71-74-72--217*

T3. George Toone, Texas @ Tyler          75-72-71--218

T3. Stephen Shephard, Huntingdon        72-72-74--218

T3. Cameron Willis, Wittenberg               70-73-75--218

T6. Addison Lambeth, Huntingdon          69-72-78--219

T6. Garrett Brickley, Wittenberg              74-70-75--219

T12. Sam Olson, St. Johh's                   74-75-72--221

T42. Wes Dickhaus, St. John's              76-73-79--228

74. Austin Kottke, St. John's                 80-78-78--236

T88. Ryan Gallagher, St. John's            80-79-82--241

T90. Mack Farley, St. John's                  79-83-81--243

* -- indicates players who are competing only as individuals