JAMUL, Calif. --- The Wayland Baptist men's golf team successfully opened the spring portion of its 2009-10 schedule with a second place finish at the Point Loma/Smee Builders Invitational, held Monday and Tuesday at Steele Canyon Golf Club.

The Pioneers, ranked 24th in the first NAIA Coaches Poll of the season, beat out three teams ahead of them in the ratings, including #3 Holy Names University and #12 California Baptist.

The Pioneers, who entered Tuesday in second place, shot a 300 to finish with a three-round total of 901, holding off the University of Victoria for the runner-up trophy.  #23 UVIC, which entered the final round in fifth place, eight strokes in back of Wayland, shot a 295 to overtake both CSU-San Marcos and Holy Names for third place.

The host squad, Point Loma Nazarene, captured the team title with a three-round total of 881, shooting a tournament low-round of 285 on the final 18 holes.

Individually, junior Michael Loppnow and newcomer Matthew Webb, a junior college transfer from Western Texas College, finished in a three-way tie for sixth place with CSU-San Marcos' Tyler Hurst.  Loppnow entered Tuesday in a tie for second place, after shooting a low round of 71 (E) on Monday morning.  The All-American then shot a four-over 75, and wrapped up the 54-hole tourney with a 76 to finish at a nine-over 222.

Webb opened with a 79, but came charging back with a 72 and a 71 in the last two rounds.  Sophomore Bradley Sinnitt also steadily improved as the tourney progressed, rebounding from a first round of 81, to shoot a 77 on Monday's second 18, and then followed it up with a 73 to move into 24th place with a 231.

Yohann Vora, a freshman, finished tied for 25th (74-78-80 - 232) and sophomore Jonathan Elliott shot a three-round total of 237 (81-72-84).

The Pioneer men return to action next week when they travel to Primm Valley Golf Club where they will compete, along with the WBU women, in the Spring Break Collegiate Challenge.