MADISON, Ill. -- Bradley Men's Golf won its first team title in eight years, winning the Dolenc Invitational at Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Ill. It is the program's first team title since winning the Zach Johnson Invitational on Oct. 1-2, 2018.

The Braves established themselves as contenders from the opening tee-off on Monday. Bradley carded a 12-under-par 272 in the first round, setting a new 18-hole program record and finishing the round at the top of the leaderboard. The team's score of 272 bests the prior record of 276 by four strokes. Joey Cerney and Carter Stevenson fired five-under-par 66s, while Brody McCarthy carded a two-under-par 69. TJ Quinn rounded out the scoring in the round with an even-par 71. Cerney's 66, which he shot on his birthday, is a new career low, while Stevenson tied his career low of 66 for the fourth time.

The Braves scored a six-under-par 278 in the second round to finish the day in third place at 550 (-18), one stroke behind co-leaders UT-Martin and Idaho. McCarthy and Quinn Cox fired three-under-par 68s to lead Bradley scorers, and Stevenson followed with a one-under-par 70. Cox's 68 is the first sub-70 round of his Bradley career.

Tuesday's final round saw significant shifts on the team leaderboard. UT-Martin and Idaho, the co-leaders entering the day, struggled in round three and fell out of title contention. As the round progressed, Bradley and hosts SIUE battled for the team title, trading the lead as the round neared its conclusion. Ultimately, despite a three-over-par 278, Bradley prevailed by two strokes over SIUE, scoring 837 for the tournament over SIUE's 839. Bradley's tournament score of 837 also set a new program record, besting the prior record of 846 by nine strokes. 

Brody McCarthy led all Braves individually, finishing tied for sixth with a seven-under-par 206. McCarthy fired three sub-70 rounds (69-68-69), and his performance was key at the end final round. McCarthy birdied each of his final three holes on Tuesday to secure the team title for the Braves. The finish marks McCarthy's first top 10 since last year's Missouri State Intercollegiate, where he finished sixth.

Joey Cerney earned his first career top 20 finish with a four-under-par 209. After celebrating his birthday with a career-low 66 in round one, Cerney carded a one-over-par 72 and an even-par 71 to secure a tied-for-12th-place finish. Cerney's consistency was vital, as he totaled nine birdies with only five bogeys across all 54 holes.

Carter Stevenson finished in the top 20 for the third time in as many tournaments, finishing tied for 17th with a two-over-par 211. Stevenson tied his career-low round score in the first round, carding a 66 for the fourth time in his career.

Quinn Cox and TJ Quinn rounded out the scoring for Bradley, as both golfers finished tied for 44th with four-over-par 217s. Quinn Cox's 68 in round two of the tournament was a new career low, while TJ Quinn's 71 in round one marked a new career best.

Brogan Smith, registered as an individual, finished tied for 52nd with a six-over-par 219.

On the individual leaderboard, six golfers finished within three strokes of the lead. Northern Iowa's Tanner Dinnebier earned medalist honors with a 10-under-par 203, prevailing after the leader entering the third round, Tennessee Tech's Matthew Shull, carded a five-over-par 76 after two rounds of 65 on Monday. Dinnebier finished one stroke ahead of runner-up Idaho's Brae Rogalczyk. 

BRADLEY INDIVIDUAL SCORES
(Place-Athlete-Score Relative to Par) 
T6 - Brody McCarthy - -7 (69-68-69)
T12 - Joey Cerney - -4 (66-72-71)
T17 - Carter Stevenson - -2 (66-70-75)
T44 - TJ Quinn - +4 (71-72-74)
T44 - Quinn Cox - +4 (76-68-73)
T52 - Brogan Smith - +6 (72-74-73)

COMING UP…
Bradley will host the Coyote Creek Classic next Sunday and Monday, Oct. 4-5, at Coyote Creek Golf Club just outside Bartonville, Ill.