TEXARKANA, Ark. — Led by top-five finishes from Sean Meehan and Michael Rome on Tuesday, the UTSA men's golf team secured the top seed for the Air Force Reserve Conference USA Championship match play semifinal round, which will be held Wednesday at Texarkana Country Club (par 72/6,935 yards).
The Roadrunners entered the final round of stroke play armed with a four-shot lead in the 13-team field after posting a 1-under-par 575 (292-283) on Monday. UTSA fired a 1-over 289 on Tuesday and concluded 54 holes of stroke play at the top of the leaderboard at even-par 864, four shots ahead of Middle Tennessee (868), five better than Charlotte (869) and seven in front of UAB (871), which locked up the fourth and final spot for match play.
UTSA will face UAB in the match play semifinal round, which is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The other semifinal matchup will pit Middle Tennessee against Charlotte and the two advancing teams will square off for the conference title Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Meehan and Rome each finished in the top five to earn their way onto the All-Tournament Team. Meehan finished in a three-way tie for second place and Rome ended up with sole possession of fifth.
Meehan flirted with individual medalist honors while playing in the final threesome Tuesday. The senior entered the final round two shots off the lead after carding a 4-under 69-71—140 on Monday. The San Antonio Johnson High School product made up ground with a 34 on the front nine that was buoyed by a pair of birdies and then remained atop the individual standings after a birdie on the 555-yard, par-5 12th hole before settling for a couple of bogeys down the stretch en route to an even-par 72.
Meehan, who has two career wins under his belt, ended up with a 4-under 212, just one shot behind Rice's Jake Benson, who won the title with a 211 (70-68-73). Meehan's tie for runner-up honors marks the top conference finish by a Roadrunner since John Elizondo won the 2006 Southland Conference crown.
Rome turned in UTSA's low round of the day and matched the team's top scorecard of the tournament with a 3-under 69 on Tuesday. The sophomore wrote down five birdies and shared the team lead with 13 for the event, as he jumped 10 spots into fifth on the final day. The Austin Westlake High School graduate finished with a 2-under 214 after bouncing back from an opening-round 75 with a 70-69—139 over the final 36 holes en route to his career-best finish.
Collin Clark tied for 17th place with a 2-over 218. The junior from Mansfield, Texas, carded a 3-under 72-69—141 Monday before finishing with a 77 on Tuesday that included two of his team-high 13 birdies.
Chad Sewell registered UTSA's second-best final-round scorecard with a 1-under 71 that was highlighted by five birdies, three of which came on the front nine as part of a 35. The sophomore from Conroe, Texas, ended up in a tie for 27th at 5-over 221 (76-74-71).
Christian Fanfelle closed out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 40th with a 226 (76-73-77). The freshman from San Antonio recorded birdies on three straight holes — Nos. 15-17 — to headline his final day.
The Roadrunners are in the C-USA match play semifinals for the second time in school history, as they chase the program's first conference team title. UTSA bowed out of the 2016 C-USA Championship match play semis to UAB in its only other appearance.
