AKRON, Ohio – With all five golfers finishing within six strokes of each other, the Ohio men’s golf team placed eighth out of 15 teams at the FirstEnergy Intercollegiate on Sunday. In the final round on the par-72, 7,060-yard Firestone Country Club North Course, the Bobcats posted a team score of 303 to conclude the 54-hole event with a 910 (317-290-303).

“Things didn’t go so well for us Saturday morning,” said Ohio head coach Bob Cooley. “There was a strong wind and a lot of water where we started and we were a little uptight but then we played great in the afternoon. Today, we just couldn’t get anything going.”

Toledo won the two-day event by carding an 868 (283-293-292). The Rockets were led by individual medalist Justin Bertsch, who shot a 210 (66-72-72) and then won a three-person playoff by scoring a birdie on the fourth playoff hole.

For Ohio, sophomores Blake Russell (Dublin) and Ryan Siekmann (Dublin) tied for 33rd with a pair of 228’s. Siekmann tied his best round of the spring with a 71 on Sunday following rounds of 80 and 77 on Saturday while Russell posted a final-round 77 after an 84 and a career-best 67 in the first two rounds.

Bobcat sophomore Grant Christman (Columbus) tied for 43rd with a 231 (79-70-82) while junior Jon Johasky (Lower Burrell, Pa.) tied for 49th with a 233 (81-76-76) and sophomore Mark Cimarolli (Pittsburgh) tied for 52nd with a 234 (77-78-79).

“Mechanically, we just kind of broke down this weekend in the wind and around the water,” said Cooley. “We definitely need to work on hitting our drivers and improving our tee shots.”

Ohio will be back in action next Saturday and Sunday at the OSU Kepler Intercollegiate in Columbus. The Bobcats will then travel to the Rutherford Intercollegiate in State College, Pa., at the end of the month before going to Westerville, Ohio, for the Mid-American Conference Championships on May 5-7.