By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily News
NILES – The Niles varsity golf team has had a busy couple of days.
After returning from Traverse City on Saturday after competing in a two-day tournament, the squad was back at work on Monday in the opening round of the SMAC Golf Tournament.
The Vikings are currently tied for fourth place with Marshall after the first 18 holes of the tournament, which was held at Thornapple Creek.
Niles and Marshall are tied at 328. Portage Central took the first round lead with a 309, while Kalamazoo Loy Norrix was second at 316 and Battle Creek Lakeview third at 317.
Alex Welch led the Vikings with a score of 78. Chris Noble shot 79, while Jeff Jurgonski and David Neumann shot 85 and 86 respectively.
Brett Phillips and Jared Kabara rounded out the scores at 91 and 93.
At the Traverse City Invitational, which featured 44 schools, Niles played on Friday and Saturday in less than ideal conditions.
On Friday, the teams faced temperatures in the 30s with winds between 25 and 30 m.p.h., with gusts up to 50 when a storm rolled in.
Niles shot 318 at the Spruce Run Course, led by Noble and Welch, who finished at 78. Jurgonski shot 79, while Neumann, Phillips and Kabara shot 83, 88 and 96.
On Saturday at the Wolverine Course, Niles finished with a 337.
Jurgonski led the way with an 81. Noble shot 83, Welch 86, Neumann 87, while Phillips and Kabara shot 95.
Niles' two-day total of 655 placed them 15th.
"We were please with what we shot with the conditions we had to play in," Niles coach Greg Gunder said. "We finished fourth out of the Division 2 schools that were there. It was an experience and our guys loved it."
Niles returns to the course on Wednesday as it travels to Mattawan for the latest West Division jamboree.The match will begin at 3:30 p.m.