SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Helped by top-5 finishes from Marcus Wochner and Zac Owens, the Wichita State men's golf team continued its strong start to the 2021 season with a runner-up finish at the 18-team Twin Oaks Intercollegiate.
 
Wochner (67-73-70 – 210, -3) birdied his final hole to grab sole possession of third-place on the leaderboard behind SIUE's Zak Butt (-6) and Valparaiso's Caleb VanArragon (-4).
 
The junior transfer from Odessa Community College has posted top-10 finishes in each of his first two tournaments as a Shocker. His 13 birdies were tied for the most among the field's 108 individuals.
 
Owens (75-70-67—212, -1) leaped from 15^th into a tie for fifth with a 4-under-67. He carded four birdies and an eagle to offset two bogies.
 
It was the second top-5 finish for Owens in as many weeks and the fifth of his career. Four of his six rounds this season have been under par.
 
Shocker golfers combined for a tournament-best 49 birdies and three eagles. Much of that damage came on par-5's where they finished 20 strokes under par.
 
WSU (285-290-286—861, +9) entered Tuesday's final round in third place – four shots off the pace. The Shockers played their first nine holes at 11-under-par and led by as many as six strokes but were 13-over-par on the back-nine. 
 
That effort was good enough to catch Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso – but not enough to hold off a surging SIUE (290-287-281—858), which played its final round at 3-under to jump from fourth to first.
 
Sophomores Brock Polhill (73-75-73—221) and Dawson Lewis (73-72-76—221) both finished plus-8 and tied for 36^th, while Jack Glenn (72-75-79—226) checked in at 68^th.
 
WSU returns to action next weekend (Sunday through Tuesday) against a loaded field at the Hootie at Bulls in Awendaw, S.C.