Oct. 6, 2007

HOWIE IN THE HILLS, Fla. - On the second day of competition at the Mission Inn Collegiate Classic, the Wildcats improved their team score by eight strokes from the first round and stand in 15th place entering the final 18 holes on Sunday. Through the first two days of play, Villanova has posted team scores of 309-301=610 and stands in the middle of five teams that are separated by just four strokes in the middle of the pack.

Freshmen Connor Casey (Madison, N.J.) and Colin List (Boynton Beach, Fla.) carded scores of 72 and 74, respectively, on Saturday and the pair is tied for 42nd place in the field of 88 golfers. Casey has posted rounds of 79-72=151 (+9) while List has matched that total with rounds of 77-74=151.

This weekend's tournament is being contested on the El Campeon course, one of three courses at the Mission Inn facility. The course is a par-71 format measuring 6,668 yards. The teams play the final 18 holes on Sunday.

Only two of the 88 players in the field have a combined scorer below par through the first 36 holes. Cody Hale (Lipscomb) and Brent Long (Western Kentucky) are tied for the overall lead with two-day totals of 136.

Villanova junior Brett Bergman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Mike Gross (Clarks Green, Pa.) are tied for third on the Wildcats thus far and are tied for 59th place in the field. Bergman has registered scores of 73-81=154 (+12) while Gross followed up a round of 80 on Friday with a score of 74 (+3) on Saturday.

Rounding out the Villanova scores is junior Doug Stadler (Wexford, Pa.). Stadler is in 87th place with a two-day total of 81-88=169.

In the team standings, Lipscomb is first out of 18 schools with a team score of 579 entering play on Sunday. Tournament host St. John's is in second place with a score of 582 and Western Kentucky (584) rounds out the top three. Villanova is just four strokes away from moving up five spots in the team standings.