By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – It was a special final day at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate Tuesday afternoon, as the Tennessee Tech men's golf team saw its own Haden Maxwell claim individual medalist honors of the team's tournament at the River Course at Sevierville Golf Club.

A sophomore, Maxwell paced the purple and gold all week, leading his squad to a fourth-place finish in the field of 15 teams. The youngster carded a final round of 71, delivering a thrilling and fitting end to the tournament. 

Tied for first place heading into the final hole of competition, the youngster buried an eight-foot putt for a birdie to win the event outright, the first Golden Eagle to win the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate. For the day, Maxwell was incredibly consistent, tallying two birdies and a whopping 14 pars to top the field of 92 golfers with a three-day total of 214.

The Soddy Daisy, Tenn. native became the third Tech men's golfer to capture medalist honors at an event in the last three years. 

As a team, the purple and gold recorded a score of 300 to finish fourth overall with an 890, just five shots back of third. Lee University took home the tournament crown behind a score of 880, besting Belmont by two strokes. 

Tying for 17th overall was sophomore Anders Larson, delivering a 3-over 71 behind four birdies. He totaled 223 for the week to add to the effort. Joining the scoring effort for the purple and gold, senior Mark McDearman contributed a 76 for his final round, tying for 30th with a collective 227.

Fellow senior Sean Anderson ended his final trip around the links in Sevierville with a 79, finishing just one shot back of McDearman. The veteran tied for 32nd after turning in a 228 for the three days of action.

Rounding out the Tech lineup was Jackson Skeen, who put together an 80 for a 233 and tie for 46th. A trio of individuals also got a taste of what Sevierville Golf Club had to offer, led by freshman Alex Broyles. Tying for 52nd, the rookie produced a birdie on his way to an 80 and a 234 overall.

Both Alexander Bassel and Avery Irwin ended the week with scores of 242. Irwin turned in an 81 on the final day of play while Bassel carded an 84. 

Next on the docket for the Golden Eagles is the Carpenter-Chaney Classic, running from Monday, Apr. 1 through Tuesday, Apr. 2. The match play event will take place at Paducah Country Club in Mims, Fla. 

Photo by Matt Dexter