WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Aidan Davis shot a team-best 78 for the Keene State College men's golf team while Madison Mousley shot an 83 and challenged to be the individual medalist on the women's side as the Owls competed at the University of Hartford Wampanoag Invitational at the Wampanoag Country Club on Monday.

The KSC women, who won the inaugural LEC championship in the fall by edging Husson University, improved by 18 strokes from their initial spring score last Tuesday at Albertus Magnus College (New Haven Country Club) – their first time on the course post-winter – and placed runner-up as a team, trailing only the host Hawks, who shot a 359.

Mousley authored an impressive round of 83, which included 10 pars including five straight from No. 9 through No. 14 as she tried to track down Maris Branyan of Hartford, who finished with a 79 (+7).  Mousley was a stroke better than Branyan on the back nine, but the ultimate difference ended up being later in the front nine, as Branyan birdied the sixth and eighth holes while Mousley parred seven times in an eight-hole span, but was forced to take a seven on the par-four eighth.

Rookie Sadie Murray also broke into the top five on the leaderboard, shooting a 91 (+19) but improving by three strokes including a birdie on No. 12 on the back nine.  She tied with Charlee Nagle of Hartford, beating her by two strokes on No. 18.

Mackenzie Hagearty added a 98 with a birdie on No. 6 and Laura Donahue a 111 with a birdie on No. 4 to round out KSC's scoring contingent.  The hosts got a 94 and a 95 from their third and fourth scorers to ensure taking home the team title on their home course.  Hartford played nine golfers at the event, four as independents.

The Owls had the most birdies as a team – from three different people – while Branyan had the only two holes under par for Hartford.  Molly Martin of Albertus Magnus (92) had the only other birdie among the five teams.

On the men's side, Davis, a junior, built on an all-conference season by finishing 15th in the field of 47, a round that included three birdies and a 38 (+2) on the back nine.  Freshman Taylor Miller was right behind him with a 79 and had three birdies himself, also shooting a 38 on the back nine.  Matt Bryant added an 85 and Sean Bonneau an 86, each recording one birdie, to complete the Owls' scoring.  Numerically, KSC combined for a 328 – continual improvement since the birth of the program – though on this day, that score was good for ninth at the tournament, which featured a tough field and several impressive performances.  Hartford won it with a 293 as a team, carding three eagles from three different people and getting an even-par round of 72 from Manolo Vargas, who finished third individually.  Shawn Amari (73) and Griffin Lalonde (73) tied four fourth, while Tim Kaley was sixth (74).  Hartford's four scorers combined for six birdies and the three eagles, while their four independent golfers added six birdies including four by Zack MacMillan, who was a dropped score despite shooting a 75.

Salem State University finished second with a 312 as a team, while Rhode Island College shot a combined 314, carried by Jasper Bruins Slot, who was one under on his day and at one point birdied five consecutive holes (finishing with six overall).

Nine teams wound up finding them separated by just 35 total strokes as a team, while second through ninth place saw just a 16-stroke gap.

Bruins Slot and Patrick Cotter of Salem State tied for the individual with a one-under 71.

"The women's team had a much better day today," said KSC head coach Jeff Timmer.  "Maddie and Sadie played really well on a very tough course."

KSC opened the spring with a 401 last Tuesday in a meeting with Albertus Magnus, finishing 14 strokes behind the hosts.  Mousley finished with a 93 to lead the way that day, with Hagearty at 100, Murray at 103, and Marley Ducharme at 105.  Mousley improved by seven strokes on the back nine, including parring four times, and then carried that into an even better effort on this day, where the Owls finished 50 strokes better as a team than third-place Albertus (433).

After shooting above 400 as a team four times a season ago, KSC recorded just one score above that number this year.  They shot a season and program-best team round of 359 to win the conference championship, rallying to overtake Husson on the second and final day.

The Owl men placed third in the league and continue to develop a core, which includes Davis (a first team All-LEC performer), Miller, and Bonneau, all of whom will return next year.  Though Timmer has a clear focus on what will need to happen in the fall.

"For the men, we all know we have to get better over the summer," he said.  "We need to be able to putt on difficult greens, which hurt us in the last few days."

KSC opened the spring less than 24 hours ago with a 322 at the New England College Invitational in Derryfield.

The Owls will continue to hone their skills in the New England summer upcoming before returning to the collegiate links in the fall.  Stay tuned to keeneowls.com for schedule updates and more information.