West Virginia University set team and individual records enroute to a decisive victory at the Island Resort Intercollegiate golf tournament August 31 – September 1.
Over 54 holes at the Sage Run golf course, WVU collectively went 55-under-par, six shots clear of second place Purdue.
Sophomore Ryan Leach led the way, carding a school-record 17-under for his second tournament win as a Mountaineer.
The weekend’s score shattered WVU’s previous best of 28-under at the Las Vegas Intercollegiate in 2021. The 55-under also ties for the eighteenth best score in NCAA golf history.
Leach’s score was two better than the previous mark of -15 set by Mark Goetz at the 2021 Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate.
After the round, Leach deflected from his own accomplishments.
“Winning individually is fun,” Leach said, “but playing well as a team, and winning as a team makes it even more special.”
WVU led Purdue by five shots after the first two rounds. In the final round, the Boilermakers initially started to cut into WVU’s lead, led by Andre Zhu and Kentaro Nanuyama.
The Mountaineers stayed close and then righted the ship with with strong performances from senior Kaleb Wilson (-8 on the third round) and sophomore Nicholas Turowski (-6 on the third round).
“The guys ground out a win after a slow start,” said Assistant Coach Will Koras, who was filling in for Head Coach Sean Covich at the tournament.
“It wasn’t easy today. Kaleb (Wilson) shooting a 64 was really impressive golf when we needed it,” Koras said.
Starting on the eighth hole, Wilson reeled off six straight birdies. He finished the round with nine birdies to one bogey.
Wilson said that he was inspired by his teammates’ play.
“It’s cool to see some of the guys go out and shoot some low numbers early, giving me something to shoot for,” Wilson said.
Turowski had six birdies on the front nine to one bogey, and picked up another shot to par on the back nine.
Playing in his first collegiate tournament, freshman Jack Michael contributed to the win with a -7 over the three rounds. He finished in 18th place overall.
“It is unbelievable to play that well as a freshman in your first tournament,” Coach Koras said.
“I think the win shows that when you work hard at home and do the right things, it gets rewarded over time,” said Coach Koras. “I’m proud of the guys, but I’m even more proud of what they did before the tournament that led to these results.”
Purdue, the defending champion, posted its second best score in school history. Third place Michigan set a record for team scoring as well.
Final Results of the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
| Place | Team | Total | RD1 | RD2 | RD3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | -55 | -22 | -18 | -15 |
| 2 | Purdue | -49 | -11 | -24 | -14 |
| 3 | Michigan | -42 | -7 | -14 | -21 |
| 4 | Michigan State | -32 | -6 | -11 | -15 |
| 5 | St. Mary’s (CA) | -28 | -8 | -17 | -3 |
| 6 | Nebraska | -26 | -1 | -13 | -12 |
| 7 | UCF | -22 | E | -18 | -4 |
| 8 | Illinois State | -19 | -2 | -5 | -12 |
| 9 | UTEP | -18 | -7 | -6 | -5 |
| 10 | South Dakota State | -11 | +2 | -16 | +3 |
| 11 | Ball State | -3 | +1 | -3 | -1 |
| 12 | Miami (OH) | -2 | -2 | -3 | +3 |
Scores for the Island Resort Intercollegiate in 2025 were better than in previous years. In 2024, Purdue won at -18. Second place that year, Boise State, came in at -5. Eight of the teams, including Michigan, were above par.
Previous Island Resort Intercollegiate winners and scores:
| Year | Winner | Score |
| 2024 | Purdue | -18 |
| 2023 | Michigan | -30 |
| 2022 | Toledo / Illinois State | -8 |
| 2021 | Michigan State | -15 |
| 2020 | Covid | |
| 2019 | Liberty | -9 |
The Island Resort Intercollegiate is hosted by South Dakota State at Sage Run golf course, which is one of two highly ranked courses at the Island Resort and Casino. The other is Sweetgrass. Blocking out two days on a course on a holiday weekend and providing material support, such as hospitality, carts, the range, meals, employees and volunteers is a major commitment by the Resort. Kudos to Island Resort.
“This tournament continues to build a strong tradition and reputation for attracting top collegiate programs from across the country,” said Tony Mancilla, General Manager of Island Resort & Casino. “Sage Run provides a unique and challenging layout that tests every part of a player’s game. We love seeing these athletes and their families experience all that our resort and golf courses have to offer.”
Island Resort and Casino also is the longtime host of the Island Resort Championship on the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s developmental tour.
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