JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - The 15th ranked NC Wesleyan College Golf team performed well at a difficult national tournament over the weekend. The Bishop golfers placed 16th overall as a team out of 30 total teams at the Jekyll Island Golf Club at the Pine Lakes and Oleander Courses.

Wesleyan finished ahead of three USA South teams including Piedmont College (18th), #13 Greensboro (19th), and Maryville (27th). The Bishops shot a 893 as a team, just two strokes shy of #17 LaGrange College. Wesleyan shot a 296 (+8) in round one on Friday, then bettered that by one with a 295 (+7) on Saturday before falling back some with a 302 (+14) on Sunday in round three.

Top-ranked Emory won the tournament with a score of 858 to finish 6 under par while Huntingdon's Stephen Sheperd won the event with a 204 (-12 under par).

Senior Mariano Silvestri led the Bishops with his 12th place finish with a score of 215 (-1 ) to beat fellow senior teammate Grady Anderson by two strokes. Anderson ended up 16th with a 217 (+1). Silvestri and Anderson were tied for the overall lead after round one as they both shot 68s on Friday (-4 under par). Silvestri then shot 70 and 77 over the weekend while Anderson followed with rounds of 75 and 74.

Freshman Frankie Schmitt, pictured below, then placed next on the Bishops with his score of 228 as he finished 77th with rounds of 79, 76, and 73 as he consistently improved from each round.

Junior Luke Thornton then placed 4th on the team and 123rd overall with his three day score of 237.  Thornton got behind on day one with an 85 before coming back strong to post an impressive 74 in round two. He then closed his tournament with a 78. Junior Dustin Wood then was 5th on the Bishops with a score of 240 as he shot rounds of 81, 80, and 79, also improving with each round.

NC Wesleyan will next return to action on April 5 through the 7th as they compete in the Marine FCU Intercollegiate at the Camp Lejeune Marine Base GC in Jacksonville, NC.