GALESBURG, Ill. ­— The Knox College men's golf team climbed one spot on the team leaderboard with a solid second-round performance, shaving 11 strokes off its first-round score, to finish the Prairie Fire Fall Classic in fifth out of nine teams with a 647 (+71). Senior Gabriel Newman was the top finisher for the Prairie Fire, tying for eighth in the 53-player field with a 76-78—154 (+10).

While Newman shot a 6-over 78, his classmate, Pranav Nandakumar was producing the low score on the day for Knox on the par-72, 6,555-yard course at Soangateha Country Club. The senior shot a 3-over 75, sinking a pair of birdies and 12 pars, and finished in a tie for 16th at 12-over par (156). Newman also had 12 pars in his round with one birdie.

Junior Nathaniel Zug matched his first round score with an 80 (+8) and had two birdies to his credit, tying for 21st place at 16-over. And while Nandakumar improved by six strokes today, senior Saransh Raina topped that by shaving seven strokes off to card an 85 (+13) with back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12.

• First-year Jaxson Forman had a birdie in his round to give Knox eight as a team on the day.
• Southwestern Community College in Iowa not only took home the team title with a 610 (+34), but it also had the two players tied for medalist honors in Alexander Cordrey and Elliot Lorentzon at 4-over par (148).

Knox will return to the links in the spring.