BRISTOL, Va. – The EMU Disc Golf team waited patiently for over three months to get back on the course, traveling all the way to the Virginia-Tennessee border to compete at the Sugar Showdown, hosted by King University at Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol, Va. The tournament included teams and individuals from King, Tennessee, Carson-Newman, East Tennessee State, and nationally-ranked Milligan. The Royal disc golfers held their own against solid competition.

Highlights (Singles Round)

Men's "A" (Beckham Jantzi, Kai Peachey-Stoner, Eli Stoll, Yuji Wenger)

• Starting out at hole 4, Eli Stoll led the "A' team throughout the singles round. The senior from Harrisonburg started strong with birdies on the fifth and sixth holes of the course, the second and third holes of his round. Following a bogey on eight, Stoll bounced back with birdies on holes 14, 1 and 3, coming in with a four-under-par 54, which tied for fourth in the singles round.
• Yuji Wenger turned in a scorecard of two-over-par 60 after a roller-coaster round that featured four birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.
• Kai Peachey-Stoner joined  Wenger in a two-way tie for eighth at two-over-par 60.
• Beckham Jantzi made it around the course in six-over-par 64, birding holes 4, 11 and 13.
• Benjamin Wagner of Milligan won the men's "A" singles competition in 11-under-par 47, three clear of his teammate Ethan Bishop in second.

Men's "B" (Ivan Betancourt, Caleb Metzler, Seth Ours)
 

• The "B" squad commenced their singles round on hole 3. Caleb Metzler, the junior from York, Pa., was the top Royal in men's "B" singles, logging a four-over-par 62. Metzler birdied holes 5, 7, 14, and 1 in that order to slot into 11th place.
• Ivan Betancourt and Seth Ours both made their EMU Disc Golf debuts at the Sugar Showdown. In the singles round, Betancourt went five-over-par 63, including his first career birdie at the fifth hole. Ours turned in a scorecard of eight-over-par 66, throwing his first ever birdie at the sixth hole.
• Hunter Osborne won the men's "B" singles in a playoff over Zachary Nelson of Milligan.

 
Women's "A" (Noami Kratzer, Miriam Rhodes)

• Teeing from hole #18, Miriam Rhodes made the podium in women's singles with a third-place round of nine-over-par 67. Naomi Kratzer followed her with a 16-over-par 74.
• Ari Timm of Milligan prevailed in the women's singles with a score of even par 58.

Women's "B" (Monica Ehrenfels, Rose Short)

• Starting on 18 alongside their teammates, Rose Short and Monica Ehrenfels completed their singles rounds in scores of 26-over-par 84 and 33-over-par 91, respectively.

 
Highlights (Team Round)

Men's "A"

• Beginning the round with a par on the fourth hole, the "A' team then rattled off bridies at the fifth and sixth holes. Following seven straight pars, the Royals finished strong with birdies on six of their final eight holes for a team round of eight-under-par 50 and an overall score of six-under-par that was good for third place overall.
• The Milligan "A" won the overall competition with a score of 19-under-par, boosted by a team round of 12-under-par 46.

Men's "B"

• The "B" team took fifth place in their division, going one-under-par 57 in the team round and seven-over-par overall. The squad made four birdies in their team round.

Women's "A"

• Rhodes and Kratzer took home runner-up honors for the women's division, turning in a solid team round of three-over-par 61. The highlight of their team round was a birdie on the 11th hole.
• The Milligan duo of Timm and Grace Sanderson won the women's competition in two-over-par with a team round of one-under-par 57.

Women's "B"

• Short and Ehrenfels collaborated on a team round of 17-over-par 75.

 
What's Next
EMU Disc Golf will get back on the course for the Liberty Flamethrower Collegiate Regional Championship on Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8. The tournament will be held at New London Tech Disc Golf Course in Forest, Va., with the opening round beginning at 9 a.m. that Saturday.