March 9, 2004

Myrtle BEACH, S.C. -- Virginia Tech shot a final round two-under-par 286 and finished fifth at the General Jim Hackler Invitational at the par-72, 6,950 TPC of Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, S.C. on Tuesday.

Senior Ryan Stinnett (Amherst, Va.) shot the low round of the tournament, a final round 68 and recorded a three-round total of three-over-par 219 to finish sixth individually. Alex Coe of Pepperdine won medalist honors with a three-under-par 213.

Redshirt junior Scott Wise (Vinton, Va.) tied for seventh with a total of 220 and sophomore Joel Kraner (Dublin, Ohio) tied for 22^nd at 223. Kraner tied Stinnett for the tournament's low round with his final round 68. Sophomore Sam Nicholson (Augusta, Ga.) tied for 66^th at 235 and freshman Ryan Sypniewski (Radford, Va.) tied for 69^th place at 236.

The Hokies entered the third round in 11^th place after completing the suspended second round at 307. Tech's 286 was the second-best score of the final round and the third-best of the event.

Pepperdine won the event at six-over-par 870, six strokes ahead of runner-up Arkansas at 876. Central Florida was third at 879 and East Tennessee State was fourth at 893, one stroke ahead of the Hokies. South Carolina, Kansas State, Wake Forest, South Alabama and Louisville rounded out the top 10 in the 19 team event.

Next on the schedule for the Hokies is the Cleveland Golf Collegiate Championship at the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, S.C. on March 15 and 16.

RESULTS
1    Pepperdine Univ.         292  281  297    870        +6 
2    Arkansas, U. of          302  289  285    876       +12 
3    UCF                      302  289  288    879       +15 
4    East Tennessee St.       299  297  297    893       +29 
5    Virginia Tech            301  307  286    894       +30 
6    South Carolina           306  298  291    895       +31 
7    Kansas State Univ.       303  302  291    896       +32 
     Wake Forest Univ.        297  305  294    896       +32 
9    South Alabama, U. of     304  307  296    907       +43 
10   Louisville, U. of        302  305  301    908       +44 
11   Coastal Carolina         309  293  308    910       +46 
12   Furman University        302  308  301    911       +47 
13   Virginia, U. of          299  308  309    916       +52 
14   Michigan, U. of          311  310  299    920       +56 
15   Long Beach State         314  307  304    925       +61 
16   East Carolina Univ.      308  318  305    931       +67 
     UT-Arlington             305  312  314    931       +67 
     Charlotte                308  311  312    931       +67 
19   Coastal Carolina B       314  326  314    954       +90