WICHITA - Senior All-American Dustin Garza earned individual medalist honors while freshman teammate Tyler Gann took second place to propel the Shockers to victory at their annual Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic on Tuesday at the Wichita Country Club.
For the second day in a row, unforgiving winds made life less than ideal for the 84 players on the course. Once again, however, the Shockers proved their ability to overlook the conditions and play through en route to their second-consecutive tournament win.
Wichita State (877) bested the 15-team field by 12 strokes as the Mavericks of UT-Arlington came the closest to the home team with an 889. Oklahoma City University came in third by a single stoke (890). Big 12 teams Kansas (894) and Nebraska (900) finished in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Garza also notched his second win a row on Tuesday afternoon. The Mission, Texas native got better and better as he rallied from a three-over first round to shoot a 69 (-2) in the second and a 68 (-3) in the final 18. The individual medalist honors marks the 11th of his career and his sixth of the season.
Gann came a stroke shy of his low-round on Monday when he shot a 69 (-2) in the opening 18 to lead the field at the conclusion of Monday's competition. He fired a 74 (+3) on Tuesday to finish in second (216), five strokes shy of his senior leader. The second-place mark is the highest of Gann's career.
Fellow freshman Hunter Sparks also landed himself in the top 15, shooting a 77 (+6) on Tuesday to follow a career-low round of 68 (-3) to start the tournament. His 225 locked him in a five-way tie for 15th.
Sophomore Anders Engell notched his best finish of the season as his 228 (78-74-76) tied him for 26th while freshman Rafael Becker ended the tournament tied for 46th (78-77-78).
Competing as individuals, redshirt junior Lars Haakonsen posted an 85 on Tuesday to finish tied for 74th (80-80-85). Senior Brad Boan ended the tournament in 82nd.
The Shockers will take a quick break before heading to the University of Indiana's Crooked Stick Invitational on April 19-20.
Wichita State (289-293-295)
1 - Dustin Garza 211 (74-69-68)
2 - Tyler Gann 216 (69-73-74)
T15 - Hunter Sparks 143 (68-80-77)
T26 - Anders Engell 228 (78-74-76)
T46 - Rafael Becker 233 (78-77-78)
IND T74 - Lars Haakonsen 245 (80-80-85)
IND 82 - Brad Boan 252 (86-83-83)
-Wichita State-