Having already won the City 6 Championship last fall, Drexel
reaffirmed its status as the top Division I men’s golf team in the Philadelphia
area with an impressive win in the Wildcat Invitational, which concluded
Tuesday at White Manor Country Club.
The Dragons took control with a 2-under 282 over the
6,733-yard, par-71 White Manor in typically chilly Wildcat Invitational weather
in Monday’s opening round and added a 7-over 291 Tuesday for a 5-over 573 total.
It gave the Dragons a five-shot win over Rhode Island, which had the best team
round of the tournament, a 3-under 281, Tuesday to finish at 10-over 578. The
Rams had opened with a 13-over 297 Monday.
New York area teams accounted for the next three spots in
the team standings as St. John’s took third at 16-over 584, six shots behind
Rhode Island and one shot ahead of St. Peter’s and Iona, which shared fourth
place at 17-over 585.
The Red Storm had solid rounds of 6-over 280 and 10-over
294. The Peacocks, behind individual champion David Powers, a sophomore from
Glen Sprey, N.Y., added a 295 to their opening-round 290. The Gaels bounced
back from an opening-round 299 with a solid 2-over 286.
Drexel’s Colonial Athletic Association rival Delaware, was
another shot behind Iona and St. Peter’s in sixth place in the 19-team field at
18-over 586. The Blue Hens opened with a 295 before finishing up with a 291.
It was a little bit of a disappointing effort for host
Villanova, although the Wildcats improved 10 shots from an opening-round 305
with a 295 Tuesday that enabled them to finish 15th at 32-over 600.
Villanova had finished in a tie for fourth a year ago at White Manor.
La Salle was another 13 shots behind Villanova in 18th
place at 613 after rounds of 311 and 302.
Drexel was led by Adam Mistretta, a senior from Livermore,
Calif. who finished in a tie for third at 1-under 141. Mistretta’s 2-under 69
was the second-best round of the day Monday and he added a 1-over 72 in
Tuesday’s final round.
Sophomore Connor Schmidt, a member of the Peters Township
team that was the 2015 PIAA Class AAA runnerup, gave the Dragons a second
top-five finisher as he was part of a four-man logjam tied for fifth at
even-par 142. Schmidt posted a pair of even-par 71s.
Senior Aaron Fricke, a scholastic standout at Garden Spot
and the individual winner in the City 6 Championship last fall at the Union
League Golf Club at Torresdale, finished tied for 11th at 2-over
144. After opening with a 1-under 70, Fricke posted a 3-over 74 Tuesday.
Sophomore Alex Butler, a member of St. Joseph’s Prep’s 2014
PIAA Class AAA championship team as a
junior at the Prep, also had a solid showing, finishing tied for 16th
at 4-over 146 after adding a 74 to his opening-round 72.
Drexel head coach Ben Feld gave junior Brenden Bacskai, a
former Malvern Prep standout, a shot at White Manor and Bacskai responded with
a pair of 3-over 74s to finish tied for 29th at 148. Bacskai’s round
Tuesday was one of three 74s recorded by Drexel, any two of which could be
considered the Dragons’ final two counters.
Powers took the opening-round lead with the best round of
the day Monday, a 3-under 68, and added a 1-under 70 Tuesday to capture the
individual title at 4-under 138.
Wagner’s A.J. Skinner, a junior from Boston and a transfer
from Rutgers, was the runnerup at 2-under 140, two shots behind Powers.
Two of last year’s three tri-champions showed their affinity
for White Manor in Tuesday’s second round.
One of them was Villanova’s Connor Daly, a sophomore from
Bronxville, N.Y. who fired a 4-under 67 to get a share of third place with
Drexel’s Mistretta at 1-under 141. Daly had opened with a 3-over 74.
The other was Lehigh’s Johnny Hsu, a junior from Atlanta who
did Daly one better with a sizzling 5-under 66 that enabled him to join
Drexel’s Schmidt in the group tied for fifth at even-par 142. Hsu had opened
with a 76 Monday.
Rounding out the foursome in that group tied for fifth were
Rhode Island’s Dawson Jones, a junior from Howell, N.J., and Iona’s Justin
Burkhamer, a freshman Delray Beach, Fla. Jones added a 3-under 68 to his
opening-round 74 while Burkhamer carded a 1-under 70 after opening with a
1-over 72.
Leading the way for Delaware were sophomore Jack Melville,
one of District One’s top players during his high school career at Upper
Dublin, and Christian Chapman, a freshman from Victor, N.Y., both of whom
finished in a group tied for 11th at 2-over 144. Melville matched
par Tuesday with a 71 after opening with a 73 while Chapman posted a pair of
1-over 72s.
Senior Blaine Lafferty, a product of Cherokee High in South
Jersey, was another shot behind his Delaware teammates at 3-over 145 after
solid rounds of 73 and 72.
Junior Matt Bastian, a Media resident and Archmere Academy product,
finished tied for 86th for the Blue Hens at 157 after a final-round
80. Also getting a shot in the starting lineup for Delaware was sophomore R.J.
Wren, a former Twin Valley standout and an occasional Stonewall looper. Wren
struggled in the opening round with an 82 before bouncing back with a 76 to
finish tied for 89th at 158.
Senior Kieran Purcell, a former York Catholic standout,
competed as an individual for Delaware and finished tied for 70th at
154. Purcell also struggled in the opening round with an 81, but might have
earned himself a spot in the starting lineup for the CAA Championship with a
2-over 73 Tuesday. The CAA Championship tees off Friday, April 20 at the Lonnie
Poole Golf Club in Raleigh, N.C.
Outside of Daly’s showing, it was a tough day for host
Villanova. Senior Andy Butler, a scholastic standout at Manheim Township,
finished tied for 43rd in his last Wildcat Invitational at 150,
although he did finish strong with a 2-over 73 in Tuesday’s final round. Butler
has been a consistent performer for Jim Wilkes’ squad over the last two
seasons.
Matt Barnes, a freshman from Bethesda, Md., had a pair of
77s to finish in the group tied for 70th at 154. Reb Barnas, a
freshman from Winnetka, Ill., finished in a group tied for 82nd at
156 after a final-round 79.
Zach Egermayer, a senior from Glen Rock, N.J., was, like Butler,
playing in his final Wildcat Invitational and finished 97th at 162,
although his final-round 78 was a counter for the Wildcats.
As is often the case with the host team, the Wildcat
Invitational gave Wilkes the opportunity to see some of his other players
competing as individuals. Another senior playing in the Wildcat Invitational
for the final time, Andrew MacMillan, of Scottsdale, Ariz., took full advantage
of that opportunity as he finished tied for 29th at 6-over 148.
MacMillan opened with a 1-over 72 before finishing up with a 76.
Another Villanova senior, Will Byrne of McLean, Va.,
finished in the group tied for 70th at 154 after following up an
opening-round 78 with a 76. Andrew Bowyer, a junior from Summit, N.J., finished
in the group tied for 77th at 155, including a solid opening-round
74.
La Salle was led by Nick Gruber, a junior from Cincinnati
who finished in the group tied for 16th at 4-over 146. Gruber opened
with a 1-over 72 and added a 3-over 74 Tuesday.
Freshman David Kim, another former Upper Dublin standout, finished
tied for 64th at 153 after adding a 75 to his opening-round 78.
Senior Brandon Raihl, a Conrad Weiser product, posted a pair
of 78s to finish in the group tied for 82nd at 156. Ron Fisching, a
freshman from McKinney, Texas, finished in a group tied for 91st at
159 after improving nine shots from an opening-round 84 with a 4-over 75.
Senior Nick Geiman, a former York Catholic standout, rounded
out the La Salle lineup as he finished alone in 100th place with
rounds of 83 and 82 for a 165 total.
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