Wilson, N.C. - The Battling Bishop golf team competed on Monday and Tuesday at the Barton College Intercollegiate, a three-round event hosted by the Bulldogs at the par-72 Wilson Country Club. Led by freshman Mariano Silvestri's top-10 performance, Wesleyan carded a 5th-place finish among 12 teams competing -- the team's highest-ever finish at the event which features predominantly Division I and II players.

Wesleyan battled a mix of rain, frigid temperatures, and windy conditions from the start. Despite the adverse circumstances, however, the Bishops managed to card four sub-80 scores in the opening round, led by freshman Luke Thornton's team-low 76. Round two saw Silvestri near the top of the pack with a 74, while round three belonged to sophomore Grady Anderson with a matching 74. The final round, in fact, saw the Bishops post a team-best score of 304 -- the third best team total of the round behind eventual champion Barton and runner-up Southern New Hampshire.

Silvestri's rounds of 79, 74, and 75 (+12) secured a 9th-place finish among 70 golfers competing. Anderson finished just three strokes off his teammate's pace with rounds of 78, 79, and 74 (+15) to crack the top-15.

Medalist honors went to Nolan Mills of N.C. State with a three-round total of 211 (-5) for the tourney

With yet another solid performance this season, Wesleyan has now moved into the top 25 percent of all Division III golf programs, ranking #70 among 283 institutions according to Golfstat.com. Next up, the Bishops will compete in the Inaugural UMW Invitational hosted by the University of Mary Washington at the Augustine Golf Club. Opening rounds begin on March 18th in Stafford, Va.