PORTLAND, Maine – The Castleton University golf team improved its scoring by four strokes on Monday in the final round of the Southern Maine Fall Classic, but was unable to move up the leaderboard as host USM took home the top spot after a final-round 305.
 
The Spartans shot 309 Monday afternoon and totaled 622 for the tournament. Southern Maine and Nichols tied for the low-total with 617, with USM claiming first place in a tiebreak of No. 5 golfers.
 
Nick Ojala was Castleton's top finisher, placing second with a two-day total of 152. He shot 73 on Sunday and 79 on Monday. Brandon Picard posted the lowest one-round and two-round totals of his career, shooting 75 on Monday after Sunday's 79 for a 154 overall. Brady Hathorn impressed as well with a two-day score of 155 after shooting 79-76 at the event. Andrew Stefura played steady golf both days with scores of 82-79—161, while A.J. Tatton rounded out the lineup with 86-84—170. The event was the best two-day score of his career, coming in one stroke better than last year's iteration of the tournament.
 
St. Joseph's (ME) No. 1 Trevor Flanagan claimed medalist honors, while Ojala, Picard and Hathorn all finished top-10 for Castleton in the 34-man field.
 
Castleton has just two days off before returning to the tees for the Little East Conference Championships hosted by Eastern Connecticut State at the Ellington Ridge Country Club.