By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Niles varsity golf team wrapped up its SMAC West Division championship on Monday as it won the final league jamboree held at Lake Michigan Hills.
The Vikings shot 164 to edge runner-up St. Joseph by a stroke.
The Bears finished with a 165 to finish ahead of Mattawan, which shot 170 and Lakeshore, which finished with a 185. Benton Harbor was fifth with a 258.
Niles finishes the division with 46 points, while St. Joseph had 42 points to easily outdistance the rest of the field.
Mattawan finished third with 28 points. Lakeshore and Benton Harbor were fourth and fifth with 24 and 10 points respectively.
It was the second straight year that Niles has at least tied for the division championship.
In 2007, the Vikings and Mattawan tied for the title.
"I was assuming it was going to be a tie with St. Joe this year," Niles coach Greg Gunder said. "If they would have come in first it would have been a tie. It was so close.
Freshman Chris Noble helped lead the Vikings to the win with a fine round of 39. Noble missed a hole-in-one by a matter of inches Gunder said.
Niles also got a 40 from Alex Welch, a 41 from David Neumann, a 44 from Jeff Jurgonski and a 46 from Sam Hatch. Brett Phillips finished with a 48.
Jurgonski played several holes without a putter after it broke.
"He was hitting the ball so well," Gunder said. "He just couldn't putt."
The Vikings will now begin preparation to compete in the Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational on Friday.
SMAC West Division Jamboree
At Lake Michigan Hills
Team Scores
Niles 164, St. Joseph 165, Mattawan 170, Lakeshore 185, Benton Harbor 258
Finals Standings
Niles 46, St. Joseph 42, Mattawan 28, Lakeshore 24, Benton Harbor 10
Individual Results
Niles 164
Chris Noble 39, Alex Welch 40, David Neumann 41, Jeff Jurgonski 44, Sam Hatch 46, Brett Phillips 48