Posted: May 06, 2017

Storm take second at IIAC Championship, post tournament’s lowest round

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Reid Cobb fired the best individual round of the tournament, the Simpson men's golf team turned in the lowest round of any team and the Storm raced to a second-place finish at the 2017 Iowa Conference Championship on Saturday, the best recorded finish in more than 35 years.

Simpson shot 298 at Indianola Country Club to edge Nebraska Wesleyan by one stroke for second place in the team standings, nine strokes behind tournament champion Luther. Simpson finished the weekend on a tear, turning in the lowest two rounds of the tournament. The Storm were in sixth place after shooting 336 in the first round but finished with a 304 Friday and a 298 Saturday.

First-year head coach Justin Livingston led the Storm to the program's best finish at the IIAC Championship since at least 1982, as complete records are unavailable prior to that year. Simpson last won the conference championship in 1970.

Just a freshman, Cobb fired an even-par 71 Saturday, catapulting himself to a fifth-place finish and All-Iowa Conference honors. His 71 was the best round of any golfer at the tournament and is the lowest at the IIAC Championship by a Storm golfer since James Montgomery shot 68 in 2010.

Korbin Sesker and Andrew Lallier each shot 74 in the final round, and both won playoffs to earn all-conference honors. Sesker took sixth after winning a two-hole playoff with Coe's Hunter Livermore and Lallier took eighth after winning a one-hole playoff against Nebraska Wesleyan's Zach Tuttle.

Simpson's three all-conference honorees are the most in school history.

Blake Bender and Nick Hartman finished the tournament tied for 22nd. Bender shot 79 Saturday and Hartman carded an 81 to close the weekend.

Team Standings
1. Luther, 309-318-302—929
2. Simpson, 336-304-298—938
3. Nebraska Wesleyan, 320-310-309—939
4. Central, 330-315-314—959
5. Loras, 330-321-310—961
6. Coe, 337-320-316—973
7. Wartburg, 335-332-329—996
8. Dubuque, 347-347-348—1042
9. Buena Vista, 386-353-345—1084