LaGrange, Ga. - The N.C. Wesleyan golf team wrapped up its 2017 slate over the weekend at the USA South Conference Tournament held at the par-72 Highland Country Club in LaGrange. The Battling Bishops carded a 5th-place finish as a team, improving two places from last season. Freshman Mariano Silvestri, who posted a three-day 216 (E) to tie for 3rd-place, garnered All-Tournament honors.

The tourney featured the league's top nine teams and feature 45 golfers. With four top-10 teams in the field, Silvestri turned heads in the opening round by carding a 5-under 67 to lead the pack. Junior David White's 71, freshman Luke Thornton's 77, and freshman Dustin Wood's 79 gave the team a solid 294 in round one, just eight strokes off the pace set by Greensboro.

Wesleyan climbed as high as 4th-place on Friday, but unfortunately, Methodist and Greensboro began to pull away. Thornton's 1-over 73 led Wesleyan on day two, while Silvestri's 74 kept him near the top of the leaderboard individually. Sophomore Grady Anderson also got in on the mix with a 79, and White shot an 80 to give the Bishops a day two total of 306.

Saturday's final round saw all five Bishops post sub-80 scores, led by Anderson's 72 (E). Silvestri turned in a 75 on the day, with White and Thornton posting 76 and 77, respectively, to finish the the tourney at 11-over and tie for 19th-place.

Methodist University captured the team championship for a second straight year, finishing seven strokes ahead of 2nd-place Greensboro. Individually, tournament medalist honors were captured by LaGrange's Logan Lanier, who won the USA South Championship with rounds of 70, 70, and 69 to finish at 7-under par.

The Bishops have now completed the most impressive season in recent memory, having placed in the top-5 in all nine of their tournaments and cracking the top-45 nationally.