MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's golf team finished eighth of 16 teams at the three-round Minnesota Golf Classic held Saturday and Sunday at Pioneer Creek Golf Course.

Highlighted by a second-round 69 (-3) from sophomore Isaac Schmidt, St. Olaf posted a team score of 903 (+39) over the 54-hole event, as teams played 18 holes on Saturday and 36 holes on Sunday. The Oles improved their team score in each round of the tournament, putting together rounds of 304 (+16), 300 (+12), and 299 (+11).

After flirting with the top 10 midway through the final round in a field that included 34 golfers from NCAA Division I programs, Schmidt eventually finished in a tie for 40th (222, +6) to lead the way for St. Olaf. Schmidt had 13 of the Oles' 42 birdies on the weekend to sit one shy of the highest total for an NCAA Division III competitor over the three rounds. St. Olaf's 42 birdies as a team were tied for the second-highest total in the field.

Following an opening-round 74 (+2), Schmidt had five birdies, two bogeys, and 11 pars during a second-round 69 that saw him go five-under through the first 15 holes. The sophomore's round was tied for the fifth-lowest in relation to par by an Ole since 2009-10. Schmidt was in contention to be the top finisher among NCAA Division III participants until a quadruple-bogey nine on hole 14.

Junior Josh Sansom was just one shot behind Schmidt in a tie for 43rd (223, +7) after improving his scoring in each round, culminating in an even-par 72 in the third round. The junior had six of his 12 birdies on the weekend in the final round to move up 16 spots on the leaderboard.

Senior Tyler Leibl was part of an eight-way tie for 59th place with a three-round 227 (+11) that included an even-par 72 in the second round. Leibl's first round on Sunday included a four-under 32 on the front nine.

First year Ike Vessey put together the best round of his young career in the third round, carding an even-par 72 to finish in a tie for 93rd (235, +19). Vessey shot five-under par on the par fives for the weekend, which was the joint sixth-best score in the field. Junior Tyler Cooper finished in a tie for 98th (238, +22) and had his best round of the weekend on Saturday with a three-over 75 that included an eagle on the par-four 16th.

Next up for St. Olaf is the SJU Fall Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16-17 in at St. Cloud Country Club and Blackberry Ridge Golf Club.