April 6, 2003

Augusta, Ga. -- Virginia Tech shot a three-round total of four-under-par 860 and finished in 12th place at the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational at the 6,875 yard, par-72 Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. on Sunday afternoon. The Hokies fired a 283 in the rain-delayed final round.

The event featured one of the strongest fields of the season. Nine of the top 25 teams in the nation, including five of the top 10 teams, competed in the tournament. Thirteen of the 17 teams in the tournament finished par-or-better.

Senior Brendon de Jonge (Harare, Zimbabwe) tied for 11th place with a total of 209. He shot a final round of four-under-par 68. Oliver Wilson of Augusta State claimed medalist honors at 199 after shooting a 64 on Sunday.

Freshman Joel Kraner (Dublin, Ohio) and junior Ryan Stinnett (Amherst, Va.) finished tied for 46th at 217. Stinnett also shot a final round 68 for the Hokies on Sunday. Redshirt sophomore Scott Wise (Vinton, Va.) tied for 54th place at 218 and senior Chris McKeel (Wilson, N.C.) finished in 78th place at 225. Freshman Sam Nicholson, a native of Augusta, was 89th at 233. Nicholson is playing the tournament as an individual.

Host and ninth-ranked Augusta State won the event with a three-round total of 820, two strokes better than top-ranked Clemson at 822. Eight-ranked Oklahoma State and fourth-ranked Wake Forest tied for third at 839 and Georgia was fifth at 841. Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, North Carolina, Purdue and South Carolina rounded out the top 10. East Tennessee State was 11th at 857, three strokes ahead of the Hokies.

Tech travels to Raleigh, N.C., April 12-13 to play in The Intercollegiate at the Raleigh Country Club.

TEAM RESULTS
1 	Augusta State 	279 	274 	267= 	820 
2 	Clemson 	273 	279 	270= 	822 
3 	Oklahoma State 	275 	283 	281= 	839 
	Wake Forest 	276 	281 	282= 	839 
5 	Georgia 	277 	283 	281= 	841 
6 	Georgia Tech 	290 	272 	280= 	842 
7 	North Carolina St. 	288 	282 	280= 	850 
8 	North Carolina 	284 	284 	283= 	851 
9 	Purdue 	283 	286 	284= 	853 
10 	South Carolina 	284 	283 	287=	854 
11 	East Tennessee St. 	284 	283 	290= 	857 
12 	Virginia Tech 	295 	282 	283= 	860 
13 	Alabama 	296 	287 	279= 	862 
14 	Duke 	286 	284 	295= 	865 
15 	Fresno State 	295 	289 	286= 	870 
	Georgia Southern 	289 	291 	290= 	870 
17 	North Florida 	300 	296 	285= 	881