St. John's holds off Temple by a shot to capture team crown in Wildcat Spring Invitatiional at Radnor Valley

    Conference championships are coming quickly in a wraparound 2020-2021 college golf season that’s been truncated by the coronavirus pandemic.

   For many college golf teams in the Northeast, in a lot of places really, there was no 2020 part of the 2020-’21 season. Having missed the spring portion of the 2019-’20 season when the coronavirus arrived uninvited and just shut everything down and the fall of this 2020-’21 season, I suspect the college kids would rather miss the first half of the season than the conclusion when conference champions are crowned and NCAA regional berths are secured.

   So, 16 teams – host Villanova accounted for two of them -- gathered Monday and Tuesday at Radnor Valley Country Club for the Wildcat Spring Invitational. They have spent the last six weeks trying to get the competitive edge back. There was even a quorum of City 6 teams, five showed up, which made up, to a certain extent, for the missed City 6 Championship that is usually staged in the first week of November.

   There was even the traditional City 6 Championship chill in the air for Monday’s opening round.

   Villanova’s Big East rival St. John’s built a big lead with a sparkling 3-under-par 277 over the 6,484-yard, par-70 Radnor Valley layout a couple miles down Route 320 from the Villanova campus in Monday’s opening round and then held on for dear life to pull out a one-shot victory over Temple.

   St. John’s added a 16-over 296 to its strong opening round in Tuesday’s final round for a 13-over 273 total. The Owls, meanwhile, came on strong with a 1-over 281 that was the best team round of Tuesday’s final round by nine shots and left them a shot behind the Red Storm with a 14-over 574 total. Temple, which plays out of the American Athletic Conference, had opened with a 13-over 293.

   Teams were allowed to have a six-man lineup with the usual top four scores counting. Coaches will only be able to start five in the upcoming conference championships and the Wildcat Spring Invitational might have settled some of the battles for the first five.

   Patriot League representative Bucknell was just five shots behind St. John’s with its 2-over 282 in Monday’s opening round before adding a 15-over 295 that left the Bison three shots behind Temple in third place at 17-over 577.

   Temple and Drexel, a Colonial Athletic Association member, have met a few times this spring and the Owls re-established themselves as the unofficial City 6 champion as they finished five shots ahead of the Dragons. Drexel opened with a solid 9-over 289 before adding a 10-over 290 to finish in fourth place at 19-over 579, two shots behind Bucknell.

   Villanova finished two shots behind Drexel in fifth place with a 21-over 581 total as the Wildcats added a 292 to their opening round of 9-over 289.

   Drexel’s CAA rival Delaware was joined by Fordham and Binghamton in a tie for ninth place at 31-over 591 as the Blue Hens struggled to a 300 in Tuesday’s final round after opening with an 11-over 291.

   Villanova’s five-man B team shared 12^th place with Colgate at 38-over 598. La Salle was another shot behind Villanova’s B team and Colgate in a tie for 14^th place at 600 as the Explorers added a 298 to their opening-round 298.

   La Salle’s Atlantic 10 rival Saint Joseph’s, with just a four-man team, was last of the 16 teams at 608 as the Hawks improved four shots from their opening-round 306 with a 302 in Tuesday’s final round.

   St. John’s was led by Jack Simon, a junior from Sparta, N.Y. who matched the low round of the tournament with a sparkling 4-under 66 in Monday’s opening round. A final-round 74 left him in a tie for second place in the individual standings with Temple junior Conor McGrath, an Academy of the New Church product, at even-par 140, a shot behind individual champion Nathan Bazant, a graduate student at Rider who starred scholastically at Trinity.

   Tyler Gerbavsits, a junior from Huntingdon, N.Y., backed up Simon as he added an even-par 70 to his opening-round 71 to finish alone in fourth place, a shot behind Simon and McGrath at 1-over 141.

   The Red Storm got another 4-under 66 in Monday’s opening round from Doug Beney, a freshman from Greenwich, Conn. Beney cooled off in Tuesday’s final round with a 79 as he landed among the group tied for 15^th place at 5-over 145.

   Alex Kyriacou, a sophomore from Suffern, N.Y., added a 77 to his opening-round 74, both counters for St. John’s, to finish in the group tied for 45^th place at 11-over 151. Ryan Rittberger, a sophomore from Greenlawn, N.Y., turned in a crucial counter with his final round of 5-over 75 after opening with an 80 as he finished among the group tied for 75^th place at 155.

   Rounding out the St. John’s lineup was sophomore Gage Wolfle, a Clearview High product who added a 79 to his opening-round 78 to land in the group tied for 83^rd place at 157.

   Rider’s Bazant, who finished in a tie for seventh in Saturday’s Temple Spring Invite at The 1912 Club, matched par in the opening round with a 70 and then had four birdies in a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round that earned him his first college victory with a 1-under 139 total.

   Temple’s McGrath, the co-medalist Saturday on the Owls’ home course at The 1912 Club, continued his recent strong play as he added a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round to his opening-round 71 to join St. John’s Simon in a tie for second place at even-par 140, a shot behind Bazant.

   Temple senior Dawson Anders, a Souderton product and 2017 Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Boys’ Championship winner, has also been playing well this spring. He was the low Owl in Tuesday’s final-round surge with a 2-under 68 that left him alone in fifth place at 2-over 142, a shot behind St. John’s Gerbavsits. Anders had opened with a 74.

   Bucknell senior Chris Tanabe, so impressive in winning the 2019 Pennsylvania Amateur at Aronimink Golf Club, headed a group of four players tied for sixth place at 3-over 143 that included fellow Bison Blake Wisdom, a sophomore from Lake Geneva, Wis.

   After opening with a 71, Tanabe signed for a 2-over 72 in Tuesday’s final round. Wisdom opened with a sparkling 2-under 68 before backing off with a 75 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Also in the group at 3-over was Lehigh sophomore David Hurly, a member of The Haverford School’s Inter-Ac League championship teams of 2017 and 2018. Hurly carded a 73 in Tuesday’s final round after matching par in the opening round with a 70.

   Rounding out the quartet at 143 was Delaware’s Roberto Nieves, a junior from Miami, Fla. who matched Hurly’s splits, adding a 73 to his opening round of even-par 70.

   Drexel had two players, senior Alex Butler, a member of the 2014 PIAA Class AAA championship team as a junior as St. Joseph’s Prep, and Angelo Giantsopolous, a senior from Canada, among five players who finished in a tie for 10^th place at 4-over 144.

   Butler added a 1-over 71 to his opening round 73 while Giantsopolous, who earned an individual victory in last month’s Don Benbow Invitational at the Jacksonville Beach Golf Course in Jacksonville, Fla., opened with a 1-over 71 before adding a 73 in Tuesday’s final round. Butler was the runnerup to Giantsopolous as Drexel claimed the team title in the Don Benbow.

   Saint Joseph’s junior J.T. Spina, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in each of his last two seasons at Pope John Paul II, was also part of the quintet at 4-over as he registered a pair of 2-over 72s.

   Rounding out the group at 144 were Binghamton’s D.J. Griffiths, a senior home boy from Binghamton, N.Y., and Fordham’s Tomas Nieves, a graduate student from Miami, Fla. Griffiths matched par in Tuesday’s final round after opening with a 74.

   Nieves’ Fordham bio lists a younger brother, Roberto, who, I’m guessing, is Delaware’s Roberto Nieves. Tomas Nieves added a 73 to his opening-round 71 and came up one shot short in the battle for low Nieves.

   Backing up McGrath and Anders for Temple was graduate student Peter Bradbeer, a Friends Central product who bounced back from an opening-round 78 with a 1-under 69 that left him in the group tied for 29^th place at 7-over 147.

   Bradbeer got a chance to catch up with some of his former Bucknell teammates as he was a fixture in the Bison lineup for four years. He took up the NCAA on its offer of an extra year of eligibility to make up for the spring of 2020 lost to the pandemic and came home to play for head coach Brian Quinn at Temple.

   Graham Chase, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., was the final counter for Temple in Tuesday’s final round with a 5-over 75 as he finished among the group tied for 34^th place at 8-over 148. Chase opened with a 3-over 73.

   Temple junior Buddy Hansen, a scholastic standout at Catholic League power La Salle, added a 78 to his opening-round 75 to finish in the group tied for 64^th place at 153. Rounding out the Temple lineup was Andrew Curran, winner of the Bert Linton Inter-Ac League individual title in 2018 as a senior at Malvern Prep who added a 76 to his opening-round 79 to finish among the group tied for 75^th place at 155.

   Backing up Butler and Giantsopolous for Drexel were the Dragons’ pair of players who won PIAA Class AAA championships at Holy Ghost Prep. Sophomore Liam Hart, the 2017 state champion as a junior with the Firebirds, carded a 1-over 71 in Tuesday’s final round after opening with a 75 to land among the group tied for 22^nd place at 6-over 146. Stephen Cerbara, the 2015 state champion as a senior at Ghost, opened with a 1-over 71 before finishing up with a 78 that left him in a tie for 38^th place at 149.

   Jeffrey Cunningham, a senior at West Palm Beach, Fla., added a 77 to his opening-round 74 to end up in the group tied for 45^th place at 151 for the Dragons.

   Bucknell’s Tanabe wasn’t the only Pennsylvania Amateur champion in the field. Rounding out the Drexel lineup was senior Connor Schmidt, who starred scholastically at Peters Township and claimed the state amateur crown at Johnstown’s Sunnehanna Country Club in 2018. Schmidt added a 75 to his opening-round 77 to finish among the group tied for 58^th place at 152.

   Leading the way for Villanova were senior Max Siegfried, a scholastic standout at The Haverford School, and Peter Weaver, a freshman from Frontenac, Md., both of whom landed in the group tied for 15^th place at 5-over 145. Siegfried added a 2-over 72 to his opening-round 73 while Weaver matched par in Tuesday’s final round with a 70 after opening with a 75.

   Noah Peck, a junior from Hunt Valley, Md., added a 75 to his opening round of 1-over 71 to land in the group tied for 22^nd place at 6-over 146. Reb Banas, Villanova’s veteran senior from Winnetka, Ill., was a shot behind Peck in the group tied for 29^th place at 7-over 147. Banas opened with a 2-over 72 before adding a 75 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Graduate student Ambrose Abbracciemento, a Newtown resident who came home for his fifth year of eligibility after playing at San Diego State, struggled in Tuesday’s final round with a 77 after opening with a 3-over 73 to finish among the group tied for 40^th place at 150.

   Rounding out the top Villanova lineup was Matt Minerva, a sophomore from Elmsford, N.Y. who shared medalist honors with Temple’s McGrath while competing as an individual Saturday at The 1912 Club. Minerva added a 78 to his opening-round 74 to end up in the group tied for 58^th place at 152.

   Villanova’s B team was led by Jonathan Elkins, a freshman from South Deerfield, Mass. who landed in the group tied for 22^nd place at 6-over 146 after adding a 2-over 72 to his opening-round 74. Luke Alexander, a sophomore from Rochester, Minn., carded a pair of 4-over 74s to finish among the group tied for 34^th place at 8-over 148.

   Jack O’Hara, a junior from Loudonville, N.Y., added a 5-over 75 to his opening-round 76 to finish among the group tied for 45^th place at 11-over 151. Junior Matt Davis, a member of Malvern Prep’s 2015 Inter-Ac League championship team – along with Temple’s Curran – added a 76 to his opening-round 77 to finish in the group tied for 64^th place at 153.

   Rounding out the host’s 11-man contingent at Radnor Valley was junior Danny Dougherty, a Tower Hill product who signed for a pair of 77s to finish among the group tied for 70^th place at 154.

   Backing up Roberto Nieves for Delaware was Hugo Kedzlie, a sophomore from Germany who added a 4-over 74 to his opening-round 76 to finish among the group tied for 40^th place at 150.

   Two Blue Hens, senior R.J. Wren, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Twin Valley, and Owen Manchester, a freshman from Irvine, Calif., landed among the group tied for 45^th place at 151. Wren added a 76 to his opening-round 75 while Manchester opened with a 3-over 73 before finishing up with a 78 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Rounding out the Delaware lineup were Michael Bargenda, a sophomore from Poland, and Jack Halleron, a freshman from Timonium, Md., both of whom ended up in the group tied for 58^th place at 152. Bargenda added a 77 to his opening-round 75 while Halleron got off to a nice start with a 3-over 73 in Monday’s opening round before closing with a 79.

   Leading the way for La Salle was senior David Kim, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2015 as a junior at Upper Dublin who finished among the group tied for 15^th place at 5-over 145 after adding a 74 to his opening round of 1-over 71.

   Ron Fischang, a senior from McKinney, Texas, added a 74 to his opening-round 79 to land in the group tied for 64^th place at 153. Junior Parker Wine, who starred scholastically at Unionville, was a shot behind his La Salle teammate Fischang in the group tied for 70^th place at 154 as he added a 76 to his opening-round 78.

   Kristian Fortis, a sophomore from Key Largo, Fla., and sophomore Karsen Rush, a PIAA Class AAA qualifier in 2017 as a junior at Chambersburg, landed in the group tied for 75^th place at 155. Fortis opened with a 4-over 74, but struggled to an 81 in Tuesday’s final round. Rush was the opposite as he bounced back from an opening-round 81 with a 4-over 74 in Tuesday’s final round.

   Rounding out the La Salle lineup was Matthew Werner, a junior from West Linn, Ore. who added a 77 to his opening-round 80 to finish among the group tied for 83^rd place at 157.

   Backing up Spina for Saint Joseph’s was freshman Kevin Smith, who led Strath Haven to the first Central League and District One Class AAA team crowns in program history in the fall of 2019. Smith added a 76 to his opening-round 77 to finish in the group tied for 64^th place at 153.

   Jake Avery, a freshman from Avon, Conn., was a shot behind Smith in the group tied for 70^th place at 154 as Avery added a 79 to his opening round of 5-over 75. Rounding out the St. Joe’s lineup was Austin Steckler, a freshman from Glen Arm, Md. who rebounded from an opening-round 82 with a 5-over 75 in Tuesday’s final round to end up among the group tied for 83^rd place at 157.

   Also in the Lafayette lineup was junior Ryan Tall, a former Conestoga standout and winner of the GAP Junior Boys’ Championship in 2018 who matched par in the second round with a 70 after opening with a 75 to land in the group tied for 15^th place at 145. The Leopards finished in sixth place in the team standings at 22-over 582, a shot behind Villanova.

   The Rider lineup included senior Andrew Forjan, a PIAA Class AA qualifier in 2016 as a senior at York Catholic, and senior Griffin Smith, who starred scholastically at Council Rock South. Forjan added a 76 to his opening-round 74 to finish among the group tied for 49^th place at 150. Smith added an 80 to his opening-round 78 to end up in a tie for 86^th place at 158.

   The Broncs, behind individual champion Bazant, finished in seventh place at 25-over 585, three shots behind Lafayette.

   Also in the Fordham lineup was sophomore A.J. Aivazoglou, who starred, along with Lehigh’s Hurly, on The Haverford School’s 2017 and 2018 Inter-Ac League championship teams. Aivazoglou finished up with a solid 1-over 71 after opening with a 75 to finish in a tie for 22^nd place at 6-over 146.

   The Rams were one of the three teams, along with Delaware and Binghamton, tied for ninth place in the team standings at 31-over 591.