VICTOR, N.Y. – The West Liberty University golf team placed sixth on a tightly-packed leaderboard here Monday and Alex Easthom was runner-up in the medal chase as the 2022 NCAA Division II Regional Preview concluded its two-day run at Ravenwood Golf Club.
    Davis & Elkins pulled away from the pack on Monday to take the team title by a comfortable margin with a 36-hole score of 19-over-par 595 at the highly-rated 7,083-yard, par-72 public track just outside of Rochester, N.Y.
    West Liberty was part of a 5-team logjam separated by only two shots in the fight for second place. Charleston and California (Pa.) wound up sharing runner-up honors with a two-day total of 611. West Chester and Gannon tied for fourth place at 612 with the Hilltoppers all alone in sixth place at 613.
    Franklin Pierce (615), Mercyhurst (616), Le Moyne (617) and Goldey-Beacom (619) rounded out the Top 10 in a deep and talented field which included 23 of the top men's golf teams from the Atlantic and East Regions.
    Easthom had held the first-round lead after firing a scorching 4-under-par 68 on Sunday but wound up settling for runner-up honors behind Davis & Elkins' Jordan Hyland, who posted rounds of 73 and 70 for a 1-under-par 143 - one shot better than Easthom. Alexander Ludvall of Dominican (N.Y.) was a distant third at 3-over-par 147.
    The Hilltoppers close out their regular season schedule next week when they compete in the annual Cecil Spadafora Invitational, hosted by Indiana (Pa.) University.
       1. Davis & Elkins 595; 2. (tie) California, Pa., Charleston 611; 4. (tie) West Chester, Gannon 612; 6. WEST LIBERTY 613; 7. Franklin Pierce 615; 8. Mercyhurst 616; 9. Le Moyne 617; 10. Goldey-Beacom 619; 11. Southern New Hampshire 621; 12. St. Thomas Aquinas 622; 13. St. Anselm 623; 14. (tie) Assumption, Dominican, Pitt-Johnstown 625; 17. Millersville 628; 18. (tie) Indiana, Pa., Bentley 629; 20. Post 632; 21. (tie) American International, Wilmington 634; 23. Bluefield State 643      144: Alex Easthom (68-76)
     156: Bo Orecchio (79-77)
     158: Howard Peterson IV (158)
     159: Noah Seivertson (76-83)
     161: Eli Inman (79-82)