PENN STATE ALTOONA MEN'S GOLF FNISHES 31ST AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Penn State Altoona men's golf team's 2023-24 season came to an end on Wednesday, when the Lions competed in day two of the NCAA Division III Championships at The Legacy Golf Club.

After playing Boulder Creek Golf Club in Tuesday's round, play moved to Legacy for Penn State Altoona's round on Wednesday. The Lions shot 312 on the par 72 course, finishing with a two-round score of 612 to place 31st out of 43 teams. Their team score of 612 is the lowest two-round score that the Lions have ever compiled in the NCAA postseason.

By not finishing among the top 18 teams on the leaderboard, Penn State Altoona did not make the cut to advance to the next rounds of the NCAA Championships, and the Lions were eliminated from the tournament.

The University of Redlands ascended two spots on the leaderboard to move into first place by the conclusion of Wednesday's round, putting together a two-round score of 563. Kenyon College moved up four places to finish Wednesday in second place with a total score of 565, and Methodist University fell two spots to end up in third place with 566.

Jack DiTrani was Penn State Altoona's top finisher after two days of the tournament, ending in a tie for 87th place out of 221 individuals. DiTrani shot 77, 5-over par, on Wednesday to finish with a two-round score of 150.

Peter Nusbaum also carded a 77 in Wednesday's round, recording a total score of 153 to tie for 125th place. Andrew Bruce scored an 82 on Wednesday, tallying 157 across two days to tie for 156th place.

Trey Heffelfinger had Penn State Altoona's low score in Wednesday's round, firing a 4-over par 76 and finishing with a two-day score of 162 to tie for 169th place. Jack Ankeny carded an 85 on Wednesday, totaling 161 in two rounds to finish tied for 186th place.

Wednesday's round caps another strong season for the Penn State Altoona men's golf program. The Lions earned their NCAA Division III Championships berth thanks to their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title win this past October, which was the program's eighth in its history. This week's appearance in the NCAA tournament was the Lions' seventh ever.