UW’s Chris Williams leads team to match play at NCAA golf

The University of Washington men’s golf team, led by Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, claimed one of the eight team match-play berths as stroke play ended at the NCAA Championships on Thursday at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Washington finished sixth and will play third-place Texas in match play today. Other matchups have No. 1 Alabama vs. either Kent State or Florida State (which will meet in a sudden-death playoff), No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Oregon, and California vs. San Diego State (both tied for fourth). Alabama topped the field with a 7-over 859. Washington finished at 20-over 872.

Williams shot a 70 and finished in a tie for 21st with a three-round total of 216, eight back of Thomas Pieters of Illinois, who won the individual title at 5-under 208 over the par-71, 7,292-yard layout.

Rowing

The Gonzaga men’s three boats race in their respective Third Level Finals after their finishes on the first day of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships in Camden, N.J.

The varsity 8+ placed sixth in their heat and repechage. The second varsity 8+ finished fifth twice and the freshman 8+ was sixth and fifth. The varsity 8+ had the team’s only sub-6 minute effort with its time of 5 minutes, 53.011 seconds in a repechage.

The Bulldogs will have the day off today before their finals on Saturday on Cooper River.

Baseball

Gonzaga sophomore Marco Gonzales was named to the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American team for the second year in a row by Collegiate Baseball. He was selected as a utility player this year after being selected as a pitcher last year.

Teammate Royce Bolinger was chosen Rawlings West Coast Conference Player of the Month for May for the second straight month. The outfielder hit .438 in May with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 18 RBIs.