Wray, who should finish out a memorable Amherst career this year, was the only player in a field of 40 to shoot a round under par, as he fired a blistering 69 on the par-71 course during the second day of competition. Combined with his 75 from Saturday, he finished tied for second place individually with a 144, only two strokes behind the leader.
But it was not Wray’s score alone that propelled Amherst past the host Bantams, who were last year’s NESCAC champions. Three other Amherst golfers, junior Nate Belkin, sophomore Alex Butensky and first-year Erik Hansen, finished within the top 16 individually. Belkin, who tied for ninth and also finished third among the NESCAC competitors, shot a 153, while Butensky and Hansen kept pace a few strokes behind at 157.
The team’s efforts become all the more impressive when viewed against the backdrop of their previous performances at the event: two years ago, they shot a 633 at this event, followed up by a 637 last season. On Sunday, they finished one stroke ahead of the Bantams with a 611. “Everyone contributed to our success this past weekend, and the best part is, I know we can play better,” reiterated Wray. “I think this past weekend will help our confidence a lot moving forward.” With this success firmly behind them, Middlebury’s Duke Nelson Invitational is up next for the Jeffs this weekend.