NEWTON, Kan. – Tied at 19-under par with Seton Hall with six holes to play, the Shocker golf team collected eight birdies across the final six holes to repeat as Grier Jones Shocker Invitational Champions.

The win is the fourth for the Shockers in the Judd Easterling era. Tuesday's win for coach Easterling joins the first Grier Jones Shocker Invitational which took place last season, the GCU Invitational in March of 2021, and the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate in the 2019 fall season as the four wins under his belt.
 
"It's so hard to win as a team or individual in college golf, so when you do you just really soak it in," said Easterling. "To win our home tournament in each of the first two years is very special and I'm just extremely proud of our guys."
 
The Shockers put together a team score of 841 with rounds of 285, 271, and 285, 23 strokes under par to win the team title. The Shockers bested second place Seton Hall by just three strokes to secure the win. Oklahoma State's Rayhan Thomas finished 16-under par for the tournament to take home the individual trophy.
 
As a team, the Shockers started rocky in round one, slipping down as far as 12th place early, but some exceptional work with the club across the board on the back nine rocketed the Shockers into a tie for 2nd place at the end of the round at three-under par.
 
Blake Lorenz excelled in round one, finishing in a tie for 2^nd as an individual shooting a round of 68 (-4).
 
Aston Castillo was not far behind, as he kept up his momentum from last week's tournament firing off a spectacular round score of 70 to be tied for 11^th on the individual leaderboard.
 
Competing as an individual, Tate Herrenbruck put up his best round of the year in round one with an even par finish and a round score of 72.
 
ROUND ONE STANDINGS
t-2nd Blake Lorenz: 68 (-4)
t-11th Aston Castillo: 70 (-2)
t-35th Zach Sokolosky: 73 (+1)
t-47th Ty Adkins: 74 (+2)
t-73rd Michael Winslow: 77 (+5)
 
Team: t-2nd, 285 (-3)
 
Individuals
t-24th Tate Herrenbruck: 72 (E)
t-35th Lucas Scheufler: 73 (+1)
t-82nd Conner Geist: 79 (+7)
t-87th Adam Balatka 81 (+9)
 
The Shockers were firing on all cylinders in round two, putting together some incredible scores on the back nine once again to propel themselves into the top spot in the tournament standings by the end of the round, taking a five-stroke lead into the final day.
 
Castillo put together a sensational round. He fired off a round of 65 (-7), a career best for him as a Shocker and putting himself into a tie for first place on the individual leaderboard.
 
Lorenz put together his second 68 (-4) round score of the tournament, putting him into a tie for sixth place and just one stroke off the leaders at -8 for the tournament.
 
Michael Winslow rallied back from his 77 score in round one to fire a 67 in round two putting him back to even for the tournament and in 34th place.
 
Individually, Lucas Scheufler scored an excellent 68 in round two and Herrenbruck again set his personal best record for an 18-hole score, this time at 70.
 
The round score of 271 by the Shockers was their lowest 18-hole score as a team since September 12th, 2011, when the Shockers posted a score of 270 at the Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic. The 271 score is just four off the team record of 267 set back on September 10th, 2018, at the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational.
 
Additionally, three Shockers (Castillo, Winslow, Herrenbruck) all broke or tied their Shocker career low 18-hole score in the round.
 
ROUND TWO STANDINGS
t-1st Aston Castillo: 70-65—135 (-9)
t-6th Blake Lorenz: 68-68--136 (-8)
t-35th Zach Sokolosky: 73-71--144 (E)
t-73rd Michael Winslow: 77-67--144 (E)
t-47th Ty Adkins: 74-80—155 (+11)
 
Team: 1st, 285-271—556 (-20)
 
Individuals
t-17th Lucas Scheufler: 73-68—141 (-3)
t-21st Tate Herrenbruck: 72-70—142 (-2)
t-72nd Conner Geist: 79-71—150 (+6)
87th Adam Balatka 81-76—157 (+13)
 
The Shockers entered round three with a five-stroke lead over second place Rice. That lead would evaporate after hole 13 when Seton Hall, who was in fifth place to start the round, came roaring back to tie the Shockers for first place at 17-under. It was Zach Sokolosky and Castillo who combined to finish -4 on the back nine that gave the Shockers the final push they needed to win the team title. 
 
ROUND THREE STANDINGS (FINAL)
t-5th Aston Castillo: 70-65-71 —206 (-10)
t-6th Blake Lorenz: 68-68-71--207 (-9)
t-15th Zach Sokolosky: 73-71-68--212 (-4)
t-40th Michael Winslow: 77-67-75—219 (+3)
88th Ty Adkins: 74-80-89—244 (+28)
 
Individuals
t-21st Lucas Scheufler: 73-68-73—214 (-2)
t-32nd Tate Herrenbruck: 72-70-75—217 (+1)
t-78th Conner Geist: 79-71-79—229 (+13)
84th Adam Balatka 81-76-74—233 (+17)
 
Team: 1st, 285-271-285--841
 
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1st. Wichita State – 841 (-23) 
2nd. Seton Hall – 844 (-20)
3rd. Rice – 847 (-17)
4th. UTRGV – 848 (-16)
5th. Missouri State – 851 (-13)
6th. UT-Arlington - 857 (-7)
t-7th. Hutchinson CC - 861 (-3)
t-7th. Abilene Christian - 861 (-3)
9th. SIUE – 865 (+1)
10th. La Salle – 869 (+5)
11th. Denver – 870 (+6)
12th. Drake – 872 (+8)
13th. Texas A&M – Commerce – 875 (+11)
14th. Air Force – 886 (+22)
15th. Northern Iowa – 888 (+24)
 
The Shockers will next compete in foreign land, as they will travel to Paradise Island in the Bahamas to play in the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational from October 20th to October 22nd.