MARVIN, N.C. - Freshman Alex Merriman recorded seven birdies over the course of two days en route to earning Second-Team All-Tournament honors to highlight the Anderson men's golf team's 12th-place finish at the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Championship, hosted at the par-72, 6904-yard Firethorne Country Club.

Tusculum claimed its' first-ever SAC Championship by two shots over runner- up Wingate, while Queens was 11 strokes further back and finished third. Lincoln Memorial and Newberry tied for fourth, with Coker and Mars Hill deadlocked in sixth place.

Lenoir-Rhyne, Brevard, defending champion Carson-Newman, Catawba and Anderson rounded out the 12-team field.

Tusculum's Nick Forsberg (70-73=143) remained the only golfer to fire a below-par score for the tourney and led the event wire-to-wire. He won individual medalist honors by three shots over Wingate's Benedict Gebhardt (72-74=146) and four strokes over the Bulldogs' Philip Konnikov (72-75=147). Eight additional golfers, including Merriman, wrapped up the event within eight shots of Forsberg.

Merriman carded the seven birdies and 18 pars over the 36 holes, as he fired a two-day 7-over-par 151 and finished in a three-way tie for ninth. Senior CJ Messana shared the 49th spot after firing a two-day 164, while freshman Forrest Fowler and junior David Wachter each carded 165s and shared the 53rd spot. Sophomore Payton Whitlock wrapped up the Trojan contingent in 59th after posting a two-round 172.

Tournament Champion- Tusculum
Runner-Up- Wingate

Individual Medalist- Nick Forsberg-Tusculum

All-Tournament Team
First Team
Nick Forsberg Tusculum
Benedict Gebhardt Wingate
Phillip Konnikov Wingate
Alex Rios Coker
Evan Ruhling Queens-Cha

Second Team
Brad Hawkins Tusculum
Andrew Hall Carson-Newman
Jackson Bailey Lenoir-Rhyne
Alex Merriman Anderson
Ryan Wilkinson Newberry
Taylor Smith Tusculum

Pos. School Rnd 1 Rnd 2 Total To Par
1 Tusculum 295 302 597 +21
2 Wingate 301 298 599 +23
3 Queens-Cha 302 308 610 +34
4 Newberry 308 305 613 +37
LMU 305 308 613 +37
6 Coker College 308 309 617 +41
Mars Hill 310 307 617 +41
8 Len.-Rhyne 315 305 620 +44
9 Brevard 314 319 633 +57
10 Carson-Newman 322 312 634 +58
11 Catawba 319 320 639 +63
12 Anderson (SC) 320 325 645 +69

12 Anderson (SC) 320 325 645 +69
T 9 Alex Merriman 75 76 151 +7
T 49 CJ Messana 80 84 164 +20
T 53 Forrest Fowler 82 83 165 +21
T 53 David Wachter 83 82 165 +21
59 Payton Whitlock 87 85 172 +28