On Monday, April 11, the West Liberty University (WLU) men’s golf team traveled to Victor, N.Y., to compete in the NCAA Division II Regional preview tournament, and had a very strong showing in the process. Out of the 23 teams competing in the tournament, the Hilltoppers placed sixth, an impressive feat. Davis and Elkins captured the tournament title with a score of 595, while California Pa. and Charleston tied for second with a score of 611. West Chester and Gannon had also tied for fourth place, with a score of 612. Following this, West Liberty held sole possession of sixth place, scoring 613 in the process. Rounding out the top ten behind the Hilltoppers was Franklin Pierce, Mercyhurst, Le Moyone, and finally Goldey-Beacom.

Individually, West Liberty had a strong showing as well, with Alex Eastholm leading the way. Eastholm has been no stranger to success with the West Liberty golf team, as he has been selected to the NCAA Division II All-Region team three times, the All-MEC team three times, and holds the honors of being named the 2021 MEC Player of the Year and the 2018 Freshman of the Year. On April 6, Eastholm was named the MEC Player of the Week for his respected efforts. In this tournament, he led the way for the Hilltoppers with a stroke line of 68-76, followed by Bo Orecchio with a 79-77 stroke line. Third was Howard Peterson with a stroke line of 158, and Noah Seivertson with 79-83. Eli Inman capped off the WLU efforts with a stroke line of 79-82.

In regards to the spring action the WLU golf team has competed in this semester, the team captured a first place title at the University of Charleston Invitational on March 28-29. The squad was able to edge out the likes of Davis and Elkins and Charleson for the finish. Eastholm, Peterson, and Seivertson led the way for the black and gold as they were able to cap off a fantastic tournament. Following this team win, the group held an invitational of their own, capturing a third place finish, behind only Indianapolis and Findlay. Teams finishing behind the Hilltoppers included: Charleston, Gannon, Concord, California Pa., Fairmont State, Bentley, Notre Dame (Ohio), Wheeling, and West Virginia State. Next up, West Liberty will travel to Indiana, Pennsylvania for the Cecil Spadafora Invitational on April 18 and April 19, looking to build off the strong efforts they saw in New York.