CHAPIN, S.C. — The Montreat College men's golf team was back in action on Monday and Tuesday at the Koala Classic, a two-day, two-round tournament held at Timberlake Country Club in Chapin, S.C. Not only did the Cavaliers see two of their student-athletes land on the All-Tournament Team, but also the squad picked up its first team title at a tournament featuring three or more programs since Sept. 24, 2008. The Cavs ultimately placed first out of 19 teams, sealing their historic win by one stroke.
 
Overall, Montreat needed 605 shots to get through two days of play, one better than Spartanburg Methodist College. Erskine College placed third with a score of 618, while Columbia International University and Milligan University rounded out the top five at 623 and 626, respectively.
 
Montreat wrapped up play on Monday in a tie for first on the team leaderboard.  As a squad, the Cavaliers turned in a 6-over-par 290, same as SMC. The day one mark was just one stroke shy of matching the best single-round score in program history.
 
Individual excellence fueled the team's success through the initial 18 holes of play. Cooper Crump tied three other golfers for the second-best round on Monday. The freshman shot a 1-under-par 70 thanks to four birdies, 11 pars and three bogeys. Alex Murphy and Matt Cardaropoli also entered the clubhouse inside the top 10 on day one. The former shot an even-par 71 during the first round, carding two birdies, 14 pars and two bogeys to sit in a tie for sixth. Meanwhile, Cardaropoli stood in a tie for ninth with his 2-over-par 73. The Mooresville, N.C., native birdied two of the final three holes on the back nine, and he also notched 12 pars.
 
Colton Clevenger's 5-over-par 76 closed out the Cavs' scoring account for day one. The junior recorded one birdie and shot even par on the back nine to finish the day tied for 22^nd out of 102 golfers. Austin Lineberger also competed for Montreat on Monday, capitalizing on two birdies and a 2-over-par back nine to tie for 81^st and pencil in an 86 on the scorecard.
 
Day two saw the Cavaliers deliver a 315, bringing their two-round total to 605. Murphy and Cardaropoli shot identical 4-over-par 75s across their final 18 holes. The former utilized 10 pars and two birdies in his final round, while the latter registered four birdies and shot 3-under on the back nine to end his tournament journey. Murphy's 146 garnered a tie for second on the individual leaderboard, and Cardaropoli's 148 placed him in a tie for fifth. Both efforts proved good enough to capture Koala Classic All-Tournament Team status.
 
Clevenger and Crump secured top-20 finishes thanks to their performances on Tuesday. A native of Hendersonville, N.C., Clevenger coupled a birdie on No. 18 with eight pars to shoot a 79, bringing his final total to 155, tied for 18^th-best. Meanwhile, Crump capitalized on eight pars during the front nine to card an 86 in round two and a 156 overall. The Montreat newcomer entered the clubhouse tied for 20^th.
 
Lineberger climbed a few spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 79^th. The sophomore from Crouse, N.C., turned in six pars and a round score of 89, lifting his two-day total to 175.
 
In addition to the five golfers participating for Montreat, three other Cavaliers also played at the Koala Classic, doing so as individuals. Luke Hood finished in 86^th place with a 178, while Shayn Tarolla and Philip Brown tied for 91^st after both shooting 184.
 
"Course management was key to our play this week," said Head Coach John Sullivan. "I stressed to the guys that playing smart off the tee and taking advantage of holes we could capitalize on was the way to play. I'm extremely proud of how they didn't give up and grinded the second day to secure the victory."
 
For a look a results from the Koala Classic, click here.
 
The Montreat College men's golf team now takes a week off before returning to competition on April 7 for the Northeast Tennessee Spring Shootout at Johnson City Country Club in Johnson City, Tenn.