Oct. 23, 2007

EL CAJON, Calif. - Navy opened the Sycuan Collegiate Invitational on Monday with a 21-over par 309 and stood 11th among the 17-team field. However, a disastrous second round (+29, 317) that afternoon that featured wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour sent the Mids plummeting to last place, where they own a 50-over par 626 heading into the final round of the tournament played at the par-72 Willow Glen Course in El Cajon, Calif.

San Diego State, ranked 26th according to Golfweek, is atop the leader board with an 18-over par 594 (298-296). The host Aztecs used a solid second round performance to leap-frog over 25th-ranked Wichita State who turned in a 24-over par 600 (295-305) after the opening day of play. UC Riverside's Nick Paez and San Diego State's Jerry Porras share the individual lead with an even-par 144. Porras is one of four Aztecs among the top six.

Navy opened the tournament in fine fashion, but the second round wasn't as kind to the Midshipmen. Navy's players found it difficult to maintain consistency and the winds wreaked havoc on the entire field. The Midshipmen are three strokes behind academy rival Air Force who owns a 47-over par 623, while Army and Wyoming are tied for 14th with a 46-over par 622.

Junior Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) was in fifth place after the opening round with a 1-over par 73. However, he covered the second 18 holes with a 10-over par 82 to finish the day tied for 47th with an 11-over par 155. Senior Erich Schoen (Sylvania, Ohio) fell out of the top 50 as he produced a second round 8-over par 80 to post a two-round mark of 14-over par 158 and stands tied for 70th.

Senior captain Chris Renninger (Darnestown, Md.) opened the day in 81st with a 10-over par 77, but was able to move up a few spots to 74th after posting a 5-over par 77 in the final round. Meanwhile, junior John Montemayor (Woodbridge, Va.) also moved up in the standings from 92nd to 80th with an 18-over par 162 (84-78).

While Wielgus suffered a setback in the second round, so too did classmate David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio). He turned in a 4-over par 76 and had settled in a tie for 28th when utter disaster clung to his club throughout the second round. He posted an 18-over par 90 in the second round to fall all the way to 96th in the standings where he now faces an uphill battle.

Finally, senior Ryan Sload (Lancaster, Pa.) finished the day in 77th with a 17-over par 161 (82-79). Sload is competing as an individual in the tournament.

The conclusion of the first Sycuan Collegiate Invitational is set to begin at 8:00 am Pacific this morning. The San Diego State athletic department is closely monitoring the weather and wildfires, and as of this morning, the golf tournament will continue on as planned.