After the first round of the Kepler Intercollegiate in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Pat Goss’ Wildcats were one stroke out of first place.

Goss, who is in his sixth year as the Northwestern men’s golf coach, had been riding a string of successes at the Kepler, hosted by Ohio State. He had not coached a team that placed below second place during his NU tenure.

But sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be.

The Cats were unable to hold their position in the tournament after the second round, dropping to fourth place and falling 17 strokes behind first-place UNLV. A rainout canceled the third round, eliminating any chance of recovery for NU, as well as Goss’ streak.

Although his streak ended, Goss was encouraged by the progress the Cats displayed at the tournament, their first district event of the season. NU had been struggling since the start of the season, with their most recent finish a ninth-place showing in the 10-team U.S. Collegiate Classic in Tucson, Ariz., last weekend.

“We put together a round that the guys know we need this time of year,” Goss said.

The Cats placed ahead of key district opponents Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State and No. 17 Toledo. They also topped No. 12 Auburn. NU, which has been criticized for its lack of divisional play until now, was hoping to make an immediate impact on the district scene, Goss said.

“I think we got back on the map regionally,” Goss said. “We showed we’re still a team that they need to contend with and (we) have a chance to win another Big Ten title.”

Individually, NU golfer Scott Harrington posted the best rounds of his college career, shooting an even-par 71 and a 1-over 72. He was one stroke away from first place when the rains came.

“I was very disappointed for Scott that we didn’t get to finish,” Goss said.

Harrington, who had been struggling through most of the spring season, said it was only a matter of time before something good happened for him. He said he improved every aspect of his game over the winter.

“This is what I expected from myself, but (my work) wasn’t really showing in my scores,” Harrington said. “(This round) everything started clicking.”

For Harrington, this was the first time he has faced the pressure of being at the top of the leaderboard. But after posting the second-round 72, he showed no signs of wear under the pressure.

“It was awesome, I loved it,” Harrington said.

Also posting a 71 in the first round was NU’s Tom Johnson, who was coming off a fifth place finish at the U.S. Collegiate. But Johnson then shot a 9-over 80 in the second round, dropping to 44th overall.

Bjorn Widerstedt continued his consistent, solid play, posting a 5-over 147 over two rounds and finishing 17th.

“I still don’t think we’ve seen (Bjorn’s) best golf,” Goss said.

Rounding out the NU squad was Casey Strunk, who finished 84th with an 18-over 160, and Chris Thayer, who finished 37th with an 8-over 150.

Goss said the Cats’ strong finish at the Kepler has given them more confidence as they prepare for their next tournament, Michigan State’s Fossum Spartan Intercollegiate in East Lansing, Mich., which begins on April 26.

“We know that we can compete with (the other district opponents) any given day, ” Harrington said. “Somebody has to knock us off. We’re the team to beat.”