Damon Vilkauskas Captures Third-Straight Individual Medalist Honors at Estrella Mountain Invite

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College men's golf team won the Estrella Mountain Invite at -15 (553) on April 15-16 at Tres Rios Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz. Individually, sophomore Damon Vilkauskas won his third-straight individual medalist honor by capturing the tournament title at -9 (133), and fellow sophomore Zachary Erskine was second at -5 (137). 

Vilkauskas, a sophomore from Mesa who spent 2021 at SMCC and 2022 at UTEP, posted rounds of 68 and 65 to win the event by four strokes. His 65 was the best individual round of the tournament. He also won the Paradise Valley Invite and Eastern Arizona Invite to help lift the Cougars to the team trophies at the events. 

Erskine moved up one spot on the leaderboard with a three-under 68 in his second round to place second and opened with a two-under 69. 

After he opened with a 75, freshman Cole Finch tied for 13th and moved up 13 spots on the final leaderboard after posting a three-under 68 to finish at +1 (143). Freshman Brady Clark tied for 23rd at +4 (146) with rounds of 75 and 71, and sophomore Ethan Klose was also 23rd with scores of 70 and 76. 

Freshman Ryan Blair tied for 27th at +6 (148) after carding two rounds of 74. 

As a team, SMCC opened with 281 and improved by nine strokes with 272 in the second round to win by eight. The Cougars trailed Pima CC by two after the opening 18 holes, but their 10-under second round was 10 strokes better than the Aztecs.