KOHLER, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- Aurora University posted a 1-under-par 287 team total Monday at Blackwolf Run to extend its lead in the team race to 41 strokes at the midway point of the 2023-2024 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Men's Golf Championships.
The Spartans posted a 587 total (300-287) over the first weekend of the championships. St. Norbert College fired a 308 as a team in Monday's second round and sits second with a 628 total. Edgewood College (331-318) is in third place at 649, just ahead of Benedictine University (332-324--656) and Lakeland University (335-323--658). Wisconsin Lutheran College (329-337--666), Milwaukee School of Engineering (341-332--673), Concordia University Wisconsin (343-350--693), Dominican University (341-357--698), and Marian University (346-353--699) round out the team scoring.
Individually, Aurora holds the top three spots in the medalist race and four of the top 10 scores overall. Day one co-leader Jack Vercautren fired a 5-under-par 67 on the Meadow Valleys layout and leads the field by three strokes at 4-under 140. Teammates Scott Boyajian (143) and Braeden Duncan (147) are second and third, respectively, while Nico Tucker (158) is tenth.
Lakeland's Brandon Bloechel (149) is fifth, followed by Edgewood's Raymond Jordan (152) and St. Norbert's Nathan Thomson (154) and Christian Wagner (156). Benedictine's James Keck and St. Norbert's Conner Krach (both 157) are tied for eighth.
Vercautren's round is the second best in championship history, bettered only by the 6-under 66 he posted during round one at Blackwolf Run a year ago. He played the front nine bogey free at 4-under 32, then added three more birdies against just two bogeys on the back nine.
Boyajian posted a 3-under 69 Monday on the strength of five birdies. He recorded a total of 10 birdies and an eagle over the first 36 holes.
The championship now takes a six-month hiatus with the final 36 holes slated for April 21-22, 2024, at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, Illinois.
2023-2024 NACC Men's Golf Championships
Kohler, Wis.
2nd Round Scores
Blackwolf Run - Meadow Valleys • Par 72, 6674 Yards
| Rank |
Team |
Scores |
Total |
Par |
|
1 |
Aurora |
300 |
287 |
587 |
+11 |
|
2 |
St. Norbert |
320 |
308 |
628 |
+52 |
|
3 |
Edgewood |
331 |
318 |
649 |
+73 |
|
4 |
Benedictine |
332 |
324 |
656 |
+80 |
|
5 |
Lakeland |
335 |
323 |
658 |
+82 |
|
6 |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
329 |
337 |
666 |
+90 |
|
7 |
MSOE |
341 |
332 |
673 |
+97 |
|
8 |
Concordia Wisconsin |
343 |
350 |
693 |
+117 |
|
9 |
Dominican |
341 |
357 |
698 |
+122 |
|
10 |
Marian |
346 |
353 |
699 |
+123 |
| Rank |
Player |
Team |
Scores |
Total |
Par |
|
1 |
Jack Vercautren |
Aurora |
73 |
67 |
140 |
-4 |
|
2 |
Scott Boyajian |
Aurora |
74 |
69 |
143 |
-1 |
|
3 |
Braeden Duncan |
Aurora |
73 |
74 |
147 |
+3 |
|
4 |
Brandon Bloechel |
Lakeland |
76 |
73 |
149 |
+5 |
|
5 |
Raymond Jordan |
Edgewood |
76 |
76 |
152 |
+8 |
|
6 |
Nathan Thomson |
St. Norbert |
77 |
77 |
154 |
+10 |
|
7 |
Christian Wagner |
St. Norbert |
78 |
78 |
156 |
+12 |
| t |
8 |
James Keck |
Benedictine |
79 |
78 |
157 |
+13 |
| t |
8 |
Conner Krach |
St. Norbert |
78 |
79 |
157 |
+13 |
|
10 |
Nico Tucker |
Aurora |
81 |
77 |
158 |
+14 |