Blasey leads the way as Davidson breaks through by taking Atlantic 10 team title

   Led by individual champion Mike Blasey, a junior from Potomac, Md., Davidson held off Dayton to capture the team crown in the Atlantic 10 Championship, which concluded Sunday at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Fla.

   The 7,024-yard, par-72 Grand Cypress layout played tough all weekend and the Wildcats were steady in claiming their first conference championship in 50 years. Davidson opened with a 12-over 300, added a 6-over 294, the second-best team round of the tournament, and finished up with a 9-over 297 for a 27-over 891 total.

   Dayton, which had posted respective rounds of 300 and 302 Friday and Saturday, closed with a 7-over 295 for a 33-over 897 total, six shots behind Davidson. Rhode Island struggled in the opening round with a 308, but came on strong with a pair of 9-over 297s to finish third at 38-over 902, five shots behind Dayton.

   Virginia Commonwealth closed with the best team round of the tournament, a 4-over 292, that left it alone in fourth at 40-over 904, two shots behind Rhode Island. Defending champion Richmond also saved its best round for Sunday, the Spiders carding a 7-over 295 to finish fifth at 44-over 908, four shots behind Virginia Commonwealth.

   The two Philadelphia entries in the tournament, Saint Joseph’s and La Salle, struggled at Grand Cypress with the Hawks finishing ninth at 926 after a final-round 308 and the Explorers ending up last in the 11-team field at 968 after a final-round 315.

   Blasey led the way for Davidson, sandwiching a 2-under 70 in Saturday’s second round with a pair of 2-over 74s for a 2-over 218 total that gave him the individual title by two shots over Rhode Island’s Brody King, a redshirt junior from Tulsa, Okla. Blasey’s second round was one of a very few under-par efforts and nobody in the field broke 70.

   Backing up Blasey was Alex Ross, a freshman from Atlanta, who finished in a tie for third at 5-over 221. Ross matched par in the second round with a 72 after opening with a 75. He finished up with a 74.

   Hoke Carlton, a junior from Charlotte, N.C. also finished in the top 10, sharing co-medalist honors with Blasey and Ross for Davidson in the final round with a 74 that left him in the group tied for eighth at 8-over 224.

   Jack Lang, a junior from Lexington, Mass. who was the A-10’s individual champion a year ago, finished in the group tied for 22^nd at 230 after a final-round 77. Michael Freeman, a sophomore from Asheville, N.C., finished in the group tied for 41^st at 237, although his final-round 75 was a counter for the Wildcats as they were trying to hold off Dayton.

   Rhode Island’s King matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 1-over 73 before finishing up with a 75 in claiming runnerup honors at 4-over 220. Joining Davidson’s Ross in the tie for third at 5-over 221 was Dayton’s Tripp French, a senior from Dayton, Ohio. French bettered par with his opening round of 1-under 71 and slipped back with a 76 before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Virginia Commonwealth’s Alister Balcombe, a senior from England, and Richmond’s Matthew Lowe, a senior from Farmingdale, N.Y., shared fifth place, each landing on 6-over 222. Balcombe matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 76 before finishing up with a 74 while Lowe opened with a 75 and added a 73 before finishing up with a 74.

   Balcombe’s VCU teammate, Sachin Kumar, a freshman from Trinidad & Tobago, finished alone in seventh at 7-over 223. Kumar matched the low round of the tournament with his final round of 2-under 70.

   Saint Joseph’s was led by sophomore Reed Winkler, a Salesianum product who finished in the group tied  for 18^th at 229. Winkler’s best round was a 2-over 74 in Saturday’s second round. He finished up with a 78.

   Junior Ross Pilliod, a Berks Catholic product (and an occasional Stonewall looper), finished among the group tied for 36^th place at 234. Pilliod started off with a solid 3-over 75 before falling back with an 81 and finishing up with a 78. Michael O’Brien, a sophomore from West Chester, Ohio, finished among the group tied for 38^th place at 235 after a final round of 4-over 76.

   Freshman Wills Montgomery, a Downingtown East product, finished tied for 41^st place at 237. Montgomery bounced back from an 87 in Saturday’s second round by finishing up a very successful freshman campaign for the Hawks with a 76 that shared team medalist honors for the day with O’Brien.

   Chuck Briggs, a junior from McLean, Va., finished alone in 52^nd place at 249 after a final-round 79.

   Freshman David Kim, a former Upper Dublin standout, was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal weekend for La Salle. Kim finished up with a 2-over 74 to join the group tied for 16^th place at 12-over 228

   Nick Gruber, a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, finished in the group tied for 46^th place at 239. After struggling Friday and Saturday, Gruber had the Explorers’ best round of the weekend, a 1-over 73, in Sunday’s final round.

   Ron Fischang, a freshman from McKinney, Texas, finished alone in 48^th place at 243 after a final-round 81, senior Brandon Raihl, a Conrad Weiser product, finished alone in 53^rd place at 263 after a final-round 92 and senior Nick Geiman, a York Catholic product, finished alone in 54^th place at 276 after a final-round 87.