April 21, 2001

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

Senior David Hearn shot a final round 69 on Saturday and moved from a tie for 22nd place into a tie for 14th at the 2001 Brigham Young Cougar Classic. He finished with an even-par total of 216 for 54 holes. Hearn's 69 helped the Cowboys secure a seventh-place team finish in the field of 16 top teams from the western United States.

Hearn was by no means the only Cowboy to enjoy one of his best tournaments of the spring season. Three other Cowboys joined Hearn in the Top 30 in a field of 88 competitors. Redshirt sophomore Kurt Kowaluk shot a three-over par total of 219 to tie for 23rd. Senior Kevin Kayden tied for 25th at 220, and junior Mike Urbatchka tied for 30th at 221.

"This was the kind of tournament we needed as we head into the conference championship in a couple of weeks" said UW head golf coach Roger Prenzlow. "We had one of the most balanced performances, as a team, that we've had all season. Our top four finishers were all within five strokes of one another, and all four finished in the Top 30 individuals.

"After suffering with a wrist injury throughout the spring season, David (Hearn) really seemed to be back on his game this week. He finished the tournament at even par 216, and he shot a 69 in the final round on Saturday. Kurt Kowaluk had an outstanding tournament. He played some of the most consistent golf I've seen him play in his college career, shooting 73 in each of the three rounds. Kevin (Kayden) and Mike (Urbatchka) also had good tournaments, finishing at four over and five-over par respectively.

"We finished strong as a team, with three players shooting par or lower in the final round. I can't say enough about the overall effort the guys gave this week."

The Cougar Classic was played at the Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah. The course measured 6,940 yards and played to a par of 72.

Next up for the Cowboys is the Mountain West Conference Championship on April 30 through May 2 in Sunriver, Ore.

Below are Wyoming's individual scores along with the final team standings for the 2001 Brigham Young Cougar Classic.

Wyoming individual results

David Hearn (Brantford, Ontario) Sr.  72-75-69=216 (Even) T14th
Kurt Kowaluk (Lively, Ontario)   RSo. 73-73-73=219 (+3) T23rd
Kevin Kayden (Fremont, Ohio)     Sr.  75-73-72=220 (+4) T25th
Mike Urbatchka (Sheridan, Wyo.)  Jr.  77-72-72=221 (+5) T30th
Mike Mezei (Lethbridge, Alberta) Fr.  78-74-75=227 (+11) T55th
Jake Hunter (Page, Ariz.)        Sr.  80-78-77=235 (+19) T83rd

Team Standings

1.  San Diego State         848
2.  UC-Santa Barbara        865
3.  Tulsa                   868
4.  BYU                     869
5.  Colorado State          871
    Hawaii                  871
7.  Wyoming                 875
8.  Fresno State            876
9.  UTEP                    879
10. Utah                    881
11. Nevada                  887
    Boise State             887
13. Weber State             888
14. Air Force               889
15. Utah State              920
16. Southern Utah           956