With Blake McShea, a sophomore from Zebulon, N.C., and Pat Cover, a senior from Hendersonville, N.C., both bettering par in the final round, North Carolina-Wilmington ended the
College of Charleston’s four-year Colonial Athletic Association reign by rallying
to claim the team title at the CAA Championship, which concluded Sunday at the
Lonnie Pool Golf Course on the campus of North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.
It was also a solid showing for Drexel, which was the best
Division I program in the Philadelphia area this season, as the Dragons, with
three players finishing in the top six in the individual standings, posted a
solid third-place finish, trailing North Carolina-Wilmington and the College of
Charleston.
James Madison held a one-shot lead over College of
Charleston heading into the final round and was 10 shots clear of North
Carolina-Wilmington. But North Carolina-Wilmington, which posted a pair of
10-over 298s Friday and Saturday, fired a final round of 3-under 285 over the
7,358-yard, par-72 Lonnie Poole layout for a 17-over 881 total.
The win earns the Seahawks an automatic bid to an NCAA regional.
The College of Charleston, sparked by a sizzling 6-under 66
from individual champion Michael Sass, a sophomore from Louisville, Ky., surged
into contention with a 5-under 283 in the second round. But the Cougars could
only manage an 8-over 296 in the final round to finish two shots behind North
Carolina-Wilmington at 19-over 883.
Drexel got off to a slow start in an opening-round 300, but
added an 8-over 296 in the second round before finishing up with a solid 2-over
290 to finish third at 22-over 896, three shots behind the College of
Charleston.
James Madison, which was solid in building a one-shot lead
through two rounds with a 290 in Friday’s opening round and a 296 in Saturday’s
second round, struggled in Sunday’s final round with a 305 to fall back to
fourth at 27-over 891.
Elon finished fifth at 39-over 903, 12 shots behind James
Madison, after a final round of 294, and Delaware, which carded its second
straight 303 in Sunday’s final round after opening with a 312, finished sixth
at 54-over 918, another 15 shots behind Elon.
The Seahawks, No. 65 in the latest Golfstat rankings, were led by McShea, who fired a final round of
3-under 69, the low round of the day, to finish alone in second at even-par
216, three shots behind Sass.
Cover carded a 2-under 70 in the final round to get a share
of fourth for North Carolina-Wilmington at 3-over 219. Christofer Rahm, a
freshman from Sweden finished among the group tied for 13th at 226
after a final-round 75. Reese McFarlane, a sophomore from Cape Elizabeth, Me.,
got a share of 15th at 227 after a final-round 78.
Thomas Eldridge, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., struggled in
the first two rounds with an 81 Friday and a 76 Saturday, but he came up big
with a third under-par round in Sunday’s final round for the Seahawks, a
1-under 71 that helped keep the College of Charleston at bay.
Sass had started quietly with a 3-over 75 before surging to
the top of the leaderboard with his sparkling 66. He matched par in the final
round with a 72 for a 3-under 213 total and a three-shot margin of victory over
McShea.
Alone in third place was Drexel sophomore Connor Schmidt, a
member of Peters Township’s 2015 PIAA Class AAA runnerup. After starting slowly
with a 5-over 77, Schmidt fired a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s second round before
finishing up with a 1-over 73 for a 2-over 218 total.
Senior Aaron Fricke, a Garden Spot product, put the
finishing touches on an outstanding career at Drexel with a final round of
1-uneder 71 that enabled him to get a share of fourth with North
Carolina-Wilmington’s Cover at 3-over 219.
Drexel sophomore Alex Butler, an East Norriton resident and
a member of St. Joseph’s Prep’s 2014 PIAA Class AAA championship team, gave the
Dragons a third finisher in the top six as he headed a group of three players
tied for sixth at 4-over 220. Butler’s 2-under 70 in Sunday’s final round was
the low round of the day Drexel.
Joining Butler at that figure were James Madison’s Matt
Cowgill, a senior from Weston, Mass., and the College of Charleston’s Hunter
Dunagen, a sophomore from Augusta, Ga.
Cowgill had a share of the individual lead with the College
of Charleston’s Sass after two rounds at 3-under 141 before falling back with a
79 in Sunday’s final round. Dunagen also started out strong with an opening-round
72 followed by a 2-under 70 and was just one shot out of the lead before also
struggling in the final round with a 78.
Rounding out the Drexel lineup were Adam Mistrella, a senior
from Livermore, Calif. who finished tied for 18th at 229 after a
final-round 76, and junior Brenden Bacskai, a former Malvern Prep standout who
finished in the group tied for 30th at 228 after a final-round 76.
Leading the way for Delaware was Kieran Purcell, a senior
from Jersey City, N.J. who finished in the group tied for 18th after
a final round of 3-over 75. Sophomore Jack Melville, one of the top players in
District One when he was at Upper Dublin, finished in the group tied for 29th
at 231 with three consecutive 5-over 77s.
Jack Gianniny, a senior from Pittsford, N.Y., finished in
the group tied for 32nd at 233 after a final-round 79. Senior Blaine
Lafferty, a Cherokee High product, and Christian Chapman, a freshman from
Victor, N.Y., both finished among the group tied for 35th at 234.
Lafferty finished up with a 3-over 75 while
Chapman closed with a 4-over 76.
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