WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Ave Maria Men's Golf Team participated in the Kona Ice Keiser Cup March 8-10 at the Okeeheelee Golf Course. Alex Veneziano shined, earning a top 10 finish, as Ave Maria as a team finished eighth of 11 of teams.

Ave Maria opened the tournament with a strong performance, shooting +18 as a team and logging two eagles. However, due to strong competition, the Gyrenes found themselves in seventh place at the end of day one.

Veneziano and Matt Mullen made up the two eagles in the first round for the Gyrenes, as both went two-under-par on the 15^th hole. It is the third time this season that Ave Maria has logged two eagles in a tournament, but the first time it has happened in the same round and on the same hole. Veneziano and Joe Hamilton tied for the team lead at the end of the day, both shooting +2. Mullen finished the round shooting five-over-par. Neal Wheeler rounded out the scores with a +9.

The Gyrenes improved by three strokes from the first round to the second round but still dropped a spot on the team leaderboard.

Veneziano and Mullen led the improvement for the Gyrenes as each shot even with the course. Veneziano tallied four while Mullen carded just one. Wheeler added a birdie and finished 7 strokes over par. Hamilton rounded out the group, finishing at +8 with a birdie.

Ave Maria posted their highest team score in the final round at 19-over-par. Two of the three teams behind them on the leaderboard had better rounds, but the Gyrenes had built a big enough cushion over the first two days to hang onto eighth place.

Veneziano, Mullen and Daniel Nycum all tied for the team lead in the final round at 4-over-par. Mullen led the trio with three birdies, followed by Veneziano with two and Nycum with one. It was the best round of the tournament for Nycum, finishing in the top four for the first time. Hamilton rounded out the group with a +7.

Individually, at 6 strokes over par, Veneziano finished inside the top 10, tied for 8th place out of 64 golfers. It is his third top-10 finish of the season and his highest placement overall. Mullen tied for 18th place with a score of +9, Hamilton finished at 17-over-par and tied for 42nd place and Nycum and Wheeler finished tied for 54th place shooting +23.

The Gyrenes are back on the links March 30th and 31st in the Roadrunner Classic hosted by Dalton State College. Two other Sun Conference teams will compete in the tournament including Coastal Georgia and Webber.