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MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – The UT Martin men's golf team weathered a one hour and 27 minute weather delay to come from behind and capture its first Ohio Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship on Wednesday at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals.

UT Martin entered the final day as the team leader but fell behind on the front nine on Wednesday. At 3:22 p.m. a thunderstorm forced the teams off the course with just eight groups remaining and the Skyhawks battling for the lead.  After the delay the Skyhawks completed the rally to top Morehead State by a shot as sophomoreHunter Richardson made a tough par putt on the final hole.

It was UT Martin's first OVC Men's Golf Championship and surpassed its previous best finish, a second place effort in 2011. Two years ago at the same course the Skyhawks rallied on the final day only to see weather cancel the final round of play and revert back to 36-hole totals, which potentially cost the team the championship.

With the victory, UT Martin earned the OVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The 2016 field will be announced on Thursday, May 5. The NCAA Regionals will be held May 16-18 and take place at six sites – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Marana, Arizona, Kohler, Wisconsin, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Stillwater, Oklahoma and Franklin, Tennessee. Following the Regionals the National Championship will be held May 27-June 1 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon.

The Championship was one of the closest in history with six teams separated by just five shots, which happened for the first time in OVC history. It also marked the first Championship decided by one shot since 2012.

UT Martin finished with a three-round total of 879 (+15) and was followed by Morehead State (+16), Jacksonville State (+17), Eastern Kentucky (+19), Belmont (+20) and Murray State (+20). The field was rounded out by Tennessee Tech (+30), Austin Peay (+31), SIUE (+39), Tennessee State (+69) and Eastern Illinois (+77).

Richardson, the league's top ranked golfer in the GolfStat national rankings entering the Championship,  won the individual medalist crown by three shots after rounds of 69-72-70 to finish at 211 (-5). He is the second-straight UTM golfer to win the medalist crown, joining Brendon Caballero from a year ago; it marks the first OVC program since Austin Peay in 1988 and 1989 to have different back-to-back medalists. Richardson had three birdies on the back nine to claim the crown and top Eastern Kentucky's Will Sallee (the round two leader) by three shots.

Belmont's Ashton Van Horne was named the OVC Player of the Year in a vote of league head coaches following the final round. He is the first Belmont golfer to earn the award in what is the Bruins fourth year in the Conference. He currently leads the OVC with a 70.6 stroke average and has two medalist titles and two runner-up finishes during the season after earning an at-large berth to the NCAA Regionals a year ago.

The All-Tournament Team, which is comprised of the top five finishers and ties, included Richardson, Sallee and Van Horne as well as Jacksonville State's Camilo Aguado and Daniel Pico.

UT Martin's Jerry Carpenter was named OVC Coach of the Year in a vote of league head coaches after the final round. It marks the second time in three years he has earned the honor.

For the week the course played 7,258 yards and was a par 72.

OVC All-Tournament Team
Hunter Richardson, UT Martin (MVP)
Will Sallee, Eastern Kentucky
Ashton Van Horne, Belmont
Camilo Aguado, Jacksonville State
Daniel Pico, Jacksonville State

OVC Player of the Year: Ashton Van Horne, Belmont
OVC Coach of the Year: Jerry Carpenter, UT Martin
OVC Freshman of the Year: Daniel Booker, Belmont