Final Results

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Evansville junior Quinn Vilneff finished in sixth place as his 4-under 68 helped the Purple Aces finish sixth at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Dalhousie Country Club.
 
“We had our best round of the day today and am proud of the way we finished,” head coach Jim Hamilton said.  “Quinn joins an elite group of players to be named All-Conference.  We are a very young team and have a bright future ahead.”
 
Vilneff finished Monday’s opening day with a 150 before recording a 68 in Tuesday’s final round to finish in sixth place, just one stroke out of a three-way tie for third place.  His 68 tied for the lowest round of the tournament.  His efforts helped him earn a berth on the All-Conference Team while he also earned the Elite 18 Award.  That is given to the player in the top 18 finishers with the top GPA.
 
Next on the list for UE was freshman Alex Turner.  Following a 155 in day one, he improved to tally a 73 on his way to a 228 and a tie for 17^th overall.  Rick Voyvodic, another freshman, was tied with Vilneff on Monday, but his 79 saw him finish tied for 24^th.
 
Parker Hensley tied for 37^th with a 239 while Will Knights was three behind him with a 242 while finishing in a tie for 41^st.
 
After holding a strong lead after day one, Wichita State cruise to the win as a team and individual.  The Shockers added to their lead in the third round, shooting the lowest round of the day (289) while finishing with an 858.  Their final total was 32 strokes ahead of Illinois State’s 890.  Southern Illinois took third with an 896 while Bradley (908) and Drake (909) completed the top five.  The Aces completed play just two shots out of the top five with a 911.
 
Medalist honors went to Rafael Becker of the Shockers, who finished four shots ahead of teammate Hunter Sparks.  Becker notched a 68 in the final two rounds to win by four shots.  Sparks’ second-place effort, coupled with his performance throughout the season, helped him to be named the MVC Golfer of the Year.
 
The Aces had a solid season, despite losing three of its top players to graduation last season.  Three freshmen (Knights, Turner and Voyvodic) received extensive playing time while junior Quinn Vilneff showed his experience while rallying at the MVC finale.