Hilton Head, S.C. - Georgia State won the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate on Tuesday afternoon as freshman Damon Stephenson earned low medalist honors. The Panthers took home the top two spots as sophomore Tyler Gruca finished second, leading the Panthers to a nine-stroke victory.
Georgia State won its first-full field event since the 2007-08 season and first under head coach Joe Inman. The Panthers other victory under Inman came in the three-team Berkeley Hills Invitational during the 2009-10 season.
The Panthers shot a final round 298 to finish the 54-hole event at 25-over, nine shots ahead of second place Furman.
Stephenson finished as the only golfer at par or better, shooting 73 on Tuesday to finish the event at even par and earn his first career victory in just four starts.
"I am proud of the way our team finished today," commented head coach Joe Inman. "With a young team that has not been in this position to win before, I wondered how nerves would play on the final few holes. The team continued to play strong and this win gives us a lot of momentum heading into the rest of the spring.
"I cannot say enough about the play of Damon and Tyler. They led us this week in a solid 90-player field. The future is extremely bright for these two talented young players."
Gruca fired a final round 75 to finish 3-over for the tournament and earn a career-best finish, while just three strokes back of Stephenson.
Senior Clemens Dvorak used a final round 74 to finish at 9-over par and move into 13th place, just one spot shy of a career-best finish. He has recorded three top 20 finishes in five tournament appearances this year.
Redshirt-senior Jared Cagle, playing as an individual, shot a final round 77 to finish at 14-over in a seven-way tie for 28th.
Sam Jandel, a redshirt-sophomore in his first season with the Panthers, shot a final round 76, his best of the tournament, to finish 19-over and in a tie for 52nd.
Sophomore Ross Mclister struggled on the final day, shooting 86 and finished 23-over and tied for 67th.
Furman finished in second place at 34-over par, followed by Davidson in third at 39-over, 14 strokes behind GSU. Louisville and Presbyterian College rounded out the top five, shooting 40 and 45-over respectively.
Following Stephenson and Gruca were Presbyterian College's William Sigg and Louisville's Kyle Blackston in a tie for third at five-over. A foursome of golfers finished tied for fifth at 6-over par.
Georgia State will return to the course March 9-11 at the Seminole Intercollegiate hosted by Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. The 54-hole event will take place at Southwood Country Club.
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