Sturtevant, Wis. -- Just three days after winning the Judson University Invitational, the Wheaton men's golf team was back on the road, as the Thunder traveled north of the state line on Monday and Tuesday to take part in the Firebird Fall Classic. Hosted by Carthage College, the event consisted of two 18-hole rounds, and the Thunder sent two squads to be part of the 16-team field. Wheaton's 'A' team finished seventh in the standings, while the 'B' group tied for 15th place. Senior Wyatt Brown continued his impressive form by earning the joint-best score on the tournament's 90-player leaderboard.

The Aurora University 'A' squad won this week's competition with a combined team score of 576 (even-par), rising up four places on Tuesday thanks to a -6 cumulative effort in the second round. Millikin's 'A' lineup was the runner-up with a 579 (+3) tournament tally, while the hosting Firebirds' 'A' group came in third. The Thunder's first team of five players posted a two-day mark of 593 (+17) to place seventh overall, three strokes behind MSOE in sixth place and six shots ahead of fellow CCIW program Carroll in eighth. Wheaton's 'B' lineup carded a combined 615 total across the two rounds of play to tie with North Park and finish three strokes behind Elmhurst in 14th place. Both Thunder groups improved upon Monday's performance in this afternoon's second round.

Brown (pictured right with runner-up plaque) picked up where he left off from his competition-winning tally of 67 (-4) last Friday with another standout performance at this week's tournament. The senior was sitting inside the top ten of the individual standings after carding a first-round score of 72 (E) on Monday. But he fired off his best round of the season so far on Tuesday to shoot up to the top of the leaderboard courtesy of a 67 (-5) clinic
that featured six birdies and 11 pars. A competitor from Carthage College also entered the clubhouse with a two-round score of 139 (-5) and was declared the tournament's official individual champion by way of a scorecard playoff.

Jackson Swartz was tied with Brown on even-par after Monday's 18 holes but had to settle for a T-29th finish after carding a 77 (+5) in today's second half. Luke Pringle was consistent across both days of competition, registering two round scores of 76 for a 152 total that saw him tie for 45th in the standings. Micah Chiong lowered his opening round tally of 78 by two strokes on Tuesday to finish with a combined 154 mark. Ryan McLain rounded out Wheaton's 'A' lineup with a two-day score of 155 from a 77 on Monday and a 78 this afternoon.

Aidan Quinlivan shot a 73 (+1) yesterday and a 79 today to match Pringle's T-45th placement with a 152 score as the leading golfer on Wheaton's 'B' team. Freddie Chan was one shot behind Quinlivan after 36 holes, carding a 79 on Monday before improving by five strokes on the second 18 to log a 153 mark. Freshman Noah Levengood tied with Chiong via the same 78-76 round split across the two days of play. Baylor Brogan finished the tournament two shots behind Levengood with a 156 total after bettering his first-round tally of 80 by four on Tuesday. Tyler Wolterstorff logged round scores of 85 and 88 to complete the event with a combined mark of 173.

After a busy few days on the links, the Thunder squad will have more than a week to rest and regroup ahead of their next competition. Wheaton is out of action until September 25th and 26th, when the team will return to the Badger State for the Midwest Region Classic in Kansasville.