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PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – The Virginia Tech golf team shot a three-round total of 38-over-par 890 and finished 24^th overall after the final round of medal play at the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship on Thursday. The tournament is being played at the 7,292-yard, par-71 Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Ca.

The Hokies shot rounds of 299 on Tuesday and 302 on Wednesday, before improving to a five-over-par 289 on Thursday for the total of 890. The top eight teams advance to match play and the right to play for the national championship, beginning Friday morning.

Freshman Scott Vincent (Harare, Zimbabwe) led the Hokies with a total of six-over-par 219, tying for 45^th place. Fellow freshman Trevor Cone (Concord, N.C.) finished tied for 77^th at 224 and sophomore Bryce Chalkley (Richmond, Va.) and senior Blake Redmond (Sugar Land, Texas) each shot 225, tying for 89^th place.

The Hokies played without junior Mikey Moyers (Stanardsville, Va.) who was forced to withdraw from Wednesday’s second round due to illness and was unable to play on Thursday.

Thomas Pieters of Illinois won the NCAA individual title with a score of five-under-par 298, three strokes ahead of Julien Brun of TCU and Tyler McCumber of Florida.

Alabama led the seven teams that have already secured their spots in match play at 859, two strokes ahead of UCLA. Joining the Crimson Tide and Bruins in the eight-team mach play competition for the national championship are Texas, California, San Diego State, Washington and Oregon. Kent State and Florida State will have a playoff at 8 a.m. on Friday morning to determine the No. 8 team. Match play begins at 10 a.m.

This marked the first trip by the Hokies to the NCAA Championship since 2002, when Tech finished 20^th in Columbus, Ohio.

For updates on Virginia Tech golf, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MGolf).