EVANS, Ga. ? Completing a rain-delayed second round in the shortened Administaff Augusta State Invitational, the 45th-ranked Georgia State University men's golf team claimed a tie for 12th at Retreat Golf Club on Sunday, as senior Joel Sjoholm finished tied for 15th at one-under par.

Playing just 12 holes after rain suspended second-round play on Saturday and forced the 54-hole Administaff ASU Invitational to be shortened to 36, the Panthers posted a second-round team score of 288 to claim a tie for 12th.

“This was a good tournament and it went well for us,” sad Georgia State head coach Matt Clark. “We didn't get off to a raging-hot start today like most everyone else in the field did this morning, but we finished right where our ranking would indicate we should finish.

“It would have been nice to have a third round to mount a comeback, but we can't control the weather,” added Clark. “However, it was a solid tournament to help us get prepared for our upcoming conference championship event.”

In a field that featured six of the nation's top-10 teams and 12 of the top 40, State tied host and 50th-ranked Augusta State and defeated 48th-ranked Coastal Carolina. State's second-round score of 288 was 10 strokes lower than their first-round score of 298 on the par-72, 7,403-yard layout.

Individually, Sjoholm, the nation's fourth-ranked player, posted a two-under par 70 in his final round to climb 10 places to finished tied for 15th at one-under par (143, -1). The native of Sweden carded four birdies and an eagle on Sunday.

In addition to Sjoholm's sub-par second round, sophomore Tom Sherreard shot a one-under par 71 in his final round to finish tied for 27th. Sherread, a native of England who ranks 70th nationally, had a three birdie second round to move up eight positions and post a two-round total of 145 (+1).

“Joel [Sjoholm] and Tom [Sherreard] both played well today with under-par rounds,” said Clark. “They each had some chances to do some damage today, but the shots just didn't go our way. I'm proud of the guys for playing well without getting the breaks.”

After Sjoholm and Sherreard, freshman Brent Paul shot the Panthers third-lowest round of the day for State with a one-over par 73, tying his career best.

“I was encourage to see Brent Paul shoot a 73,” said Clark about the freshman's two-birdie round.

Paul finished tied for 78 with a two-round total of 153 (+9), along with fellow freshman Alex Castro.

Sophomore Maurice Jordan recorded the third-best finish for the Panthers in a tie for 64th, with a two-round total of 150 (+6).

With the regular season now complete, the Panthers turn their focus to the 2008 Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Williamsburg, Va. on April 18.

“This was a good, solid week for preparing,” explained Clark. “We've played better as the year has gone on. I think [the team] is pretty comfortable right now and they are confident knowing we're getting better every day. Now, we're just going to keep practicing hard and get ready for the championship.”

The winner of the conference championship earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. The Panthers have advanced to the Regionals in eight of the last nine years, winning five conference championships in that span.

Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for updates leading up to the CAA Championships.


Gerogia State Individual Finishes:
T15th ? Joel Sjoholm, SR. ? 73, 70 ? 143, -2
T27th ? Tom Sherreard, SO. ? 74, 71 ? 145, +1
T64th ? Maurice Jordan, SO. ? 76, 74 ? 150, +6
T69th ? Alex Castro, FR. ? 75, 78 ? 153, +9
T85th ? Brent Paul, FR. ? 80, 73 ? 153, +9

Team Results: