ERIE, Colo. — Jake Aberle, Max Thomas and Mason Benbrook each shot 3-under par and Zach Mate added a 2-under par round to help the Sacramento State men's golf team finish the final round of the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational at 11-under par on Tuesday. The Hornets moved from 12^th to eighth place during the round for the largest jump in the field. The team's total of 277 in the third round tied for the third-best in the 19-team field.
 
Aberle started his round with a bogey on the par-4 10^th but quickly dropped below par with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. After two pars, his final bogey of the day came on the par-3 16^th. A birdie on the par-4 17^th left him 1-under through nine holes and he played the front nine at 2-under with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8.
 
Thomas had a quick start to his round with a pair of birdies (Nos. 10 and 12) on his first four holes. Following six pars, he birdied the par-4 first two get to 3-under and finished his round there after two bogeys and two birdies over his final seven holes.
 
Benbrook was never above par in his third round. He birdied the par-5 12^th (his second hole) to get to 1-under and had his lone bogey of the day on the par-3 14^th. The senior returned to red numbers with a birdie on No. 17 and moved to 2-under with a birdie on the par-5 second. He then parred seven consecutive holes and wrapped up his tournament with a birdie on the par-4 10^th.
 
The final score towards the team total belonged to Mate who was 2-under. Mate opened play with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 and didn't get back to even until birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. Mate continued his momentum on the front side of the course with birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-5 seventh. After a bogey on No. 8, he birdied the par-3 ninth.
 
Arkansas State won the tournament at 42-under par. The Red Wolves finished one stroke ahead of Colorado and were led by medalist Thomas Schmidt who shot 64-63-67-194 to win the tournament by eight strokes.
 
Sacramento State will next compete at the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational on Oct. 9-11 at The Reserve in Stockton, Calif.
 
MARK SIMPSON COLORADO INVITATIONAL
Erie, Colo. | Colorado National GC
Par 72 | 7,787 Yards
 
Team Standings
1. Arkansas State 275-270-277-822
2. Colorado 268-280-275-823
3. Long Beach State 276-268-280-824
4. Southern Illinois 269-285-282-836
5. UTEP 283-280-275-838
6. Loyola Marymount 281-281-277-839
7. Wyoming 286-280-280-846
8. Sacramento State 288-286-277-851
9. Texas State 279-287-286-852
10. Creighton 284-284-285-853
11. Tarleton State 284-285-285-855
12. Boise State 288-290-286-858
T13. Eastern Washington 293-283-288-864
T13. Denver 283-293-287-864
15. UC Irvine 287-288-290-865
16. Gonzaga 289-286-291-866
17. Northern Colorado 292-292-290-874
18. Utah State 292-288-296-877
19. Cal State Fullerton 306-297-298-901
 
Individual Top Five
1. Thomas Schmidt, ARKST, 64-63-67-194
2. Steen Zeman, LBSU, 67-65-70-202
T3. Alejandro De Castro, LBSU, 67-68-68-203
T3. Parker Paxton, COLO, 66-69-68-203
T5. Brandon Knight, COLO, 67-70-68-205
T5. Cooper Tate, UNC, 66-67-72-205
 
Sacramento State Scores
T44. Jake Aberle 70-75-69-214
T44. Max Thomas 74-71-69-214
T52. Mason Benbrook 74-72-69-215
T59. Zach Mate 74-72-70-216
T71. Gabriel Smith 70-71-79-220