Stevenson, Hughes, Cracraft lead Bears' efforts; SSU men's golf concludes Georgetown Invitational in fourth

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Senior talent and Shawnee State men's golf veteran Tanner Stevenson continued building on his recent golf play by posting another consistent round to clinch a top-10 finish, while Kentucky natives Logan Hughes and Trey Cracraft provided solid support behind Stevenson by adding finishes well solid the top-15 to help Shawnee State build on its first day 307 by shooting a second-day 304 as a group, maintaining its fourth-place finish to conclude matters at the Georgetown Invitational at the Cherry Blossom Golf and Country Club in Georgetown, Ky.

Stevenson, who shot an opening round 74 to put himself in a tie for sixth, remained there over the final 18 holes of action after shooting a three-over 75, finishing the two-day Georgetown Invitational with a five-over 149. Stevenson finished just five shots back of the overall lead and ultimately tied Day 1 leader, Bluefield's Eetu Kilpinen, for the sixth position on the leaderboard.

Behind the Wheelersburg native, Hughes and Cracraft completed respectable showings in their own right. The former, who shot a five-over 77 on the second day, finished eight-over 152 for the tournament, nabbing an 11th place finish in the 30-golfer field. Cracraft, who posted a four-over 76 on the second day, finished two shots back of Hughes -- and in doing so, jumped four spots on the leaderboard from a tie for 17th after the opening day to a 13th place tie after the second 18-hole round.

Improvement continued to show on down the line for Shawnee State throughout Tuesday's Day 2 affairs -- as Owen Robinson's seven-over 79 on the second day allowed the freshman from Massillon to jump one spot into a tie for 19th place on the leaderboard. Ross Ferrell, who shot a four-over 76 on the second day of competition, made it five SSU players who shot a round in the 70s on the second time through Cherry Blossom, and in doing so, jumped five spots from 26th overall to 21st.

Cayden Haislop, who competed in the Georgetown Invitational as an individual, improved himself -- lowering his second day stroke by six from the opening round to improve two places on the leaderboard en route to a tie for 26th.

Team-wise, the top four units were separated by a competitive 26-stroke margin -- as Georgetown (Ky.)'s 585, West Virginia Tech's 598, Bluefield (Va.)'s 609 and Shawnee State's 611 rounded out the first through fourth spots on the leaderboard. Union Commonwealth (Ky.)'s 663 rounded out the five-team field.

Second through fourth places, from an overall team standpoint, were separated by only 13 shots over the 36-hole event.

The Shawnee State men's golf program, along with the SSU women's golf program, returns to action next Monday and Tuesday -- Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 -- when the Bears compete at the Ohio Christian Fall Invitational.