WONDER BOYS FINISHES AS RUNNER-UP AT 2009 GSC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS; JARRED CARLYLE SHOOTS D-II ERA SCHOOL RECORD 209 TO TAKE HOME INDIVIDUAL MEDALIST HONORS

        HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech’s Men’s Golf completed play here Tuesday at the 2009 Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield/Gulf South Conference Golf Championships by finishing as runner-up to North Alabama at Hot Springs Country Club.

Tech carded a five-over par 869 for the 2-day, 54-hole tournament to finish in second place, just six shots behind North Alabama, who carded an 863 (291, 284, 288) for the tournament. West Florida, the three-time defending GSC Champions, shot an 872 (288, 290, 294) to finish in third place and Valdosta State fired a 13-over par 877 (303, 288, 286) to finish in fourth place.

“I am really proud of the way of the way we performed,” Wonder Boys Head Coach Dave Falconer said. “We were six-under as a team heading into turn today and really played well. This is a tremendous accomplishment for this group of young men.”

Along with its runner-up finish, which is Tech’s best finish since winning the championship in 2004, senior Jarred Carlyle (Nashville, Ark.) made history as he became the first Wonder Boy to win individual medalist honors at the GSC Championship Meet.

Carlyle carded a Division II-era school record 209 for 54 holes to capture individual medalist honors. Carlyle finished one shot ahead of North Alabama’s Brett Munson, who shot a six-under par 210 for 54 holes.

          “Jarred went out and played tremendous golf for 54 holes and has really worked to achieve this accomplishment,” the 21-year Tech coach said.

          In addition to Carlyle, senior B.J. Hawkins (Winnsboro, Texas) shot an even-par 216 (73, 74, 69) for 54 holes to finish tied for fourth and join his Wonder Boys teammate on the eight-member All-Tournament Team. Other members of the All-Tournament Team besides Carlyle, Munson and Hawkins were Valdosta State’s Brent Witcher (-1, 215), Delta State teammates Brandon Hartzell (E, 216), Chase Smith (E, 216), along with North Alabama’s David Gies II (E, 216) and West Florida’s Carlos Rodriguez (E, 216).

          Tech, who was in third place in Tuesday’s final round after firing a first-day total of 582, shot a one-under par 287 in the final round to overtake West Florida, who was in second place after the first day. The Argonauts carded a 294 in the final round after shooting a 578 in the first two rounds.

          Along with Carlyle and Hawkins, senior Taylor Wallner (Fayetteville, Ark.) fired a nine-over par 225 to finish tied for 21st place. Wallner shot rounds of 75, 73 and 77 respectively. The other finishers for Tech were juniors Jonathon Spikes (Danville, Ark.), who carded a 226 (79, 75, 72) to finish tied for 26th place and Drew Richards (Prescott, Ark.), who shot a 54-hole total of 232 (72, 82, 78) to finish in 37th place.

          The 869 is tied for the lowest score in a 54-hole tournament in school’s history. The Wonder Boys carded an 869 to finish in third place at the 2007 GSC Championships at Hot Springs Country Club.

          With its runner-up finish, Tech has assured itself of a spot in this year’s NCAA Division II Men’s Golf South/Southeast Super Regional, which is scheduled for May 4-6 at the Robert Trent Jones of the Shoals Course in Muscle Shoals, Ala. The NCAA will announce the 10 teams that will qualify for the South Regional on Friday, April 24. In the latest NCAA D-II South Region poll that was released on April 3, Tech was ranked eighth and was one of four GSC schools ranked in the Top 10. The NCAA Regional appearance for Tech will be its sixth since joining NCAA Division II in 1996 and the first since 2004, when the Wonder Boys shot a 906 as a team to finish in seventh place.

          ARKANSAS TECH                   291   291   287 – 869 

1        Jarred Carlyle                  71      69      69 – 209    

T-4    B.J. Hawkins                    73      74      69 – 216    

T-21  Taylor Wallner                  75      73      77 – 148    

T-26  Jonathon Spikes              79      75      72 – 226    

37      Drew Richards                 72      82      78 – 232   

Team Scores

1.       North Alabama               291    284    288 – 863   -1

2.      Arkansas Tech              291   291   287– 869   +5

3.       West Florida                   288    290    294 – 872   +8

4.       Valdosta State                303    288    286 – 877   +13

5.       Delta State                     297    299    295 – 891   +27

6.       Henderson State             302    299    301 – 902   +38

7.       Ouachita Baptist              305    309    299 – 913   +49

8.       Montevallo                      304    313    297 – 914   +50

9.       Harding                           305    312    308 – 925   +61

10.     Christian Brothers            321    317    309 – 947   +83

11.     Southern Arkansas          332    327    314 – 973   +109

12.     Ark.-Monticello                343    319    340 – 1,002  +138

DNF   West Georgia                   297    DNF   297

2009 GSC Men's Golf Championships results

          -- Tech Athletics --