Women
Team Champions: Millersville
Individual Champion: Shannon Weber, Millersville
Champion Scholar: Annie Yovich, Gannon
Men
Team Champions: Mercyhurst
Individual Champion: Chris Kupniewski, Mercyhurst
Champion Scholar: Loren Dukate, Clarion
FINAL ROUND:
Hershey, Pa. - On the final day of the 2015 PSAC Golf Championships, Millersville University claimed the title on the women’s side, while the Mercyhurst men took the crown for the men.
The two winning teams also fielded the individual medalists in the event. Millersville’s Shannon Weber led after round one and stayed out front on day two, claiming the individual crown for the champion Marauders.
Mercyhurst’s Chris Kupniewski and Blaze Hogan were tied after 36 holes, but after just a one hole playoff, Kupniewski claimed the top prize against his Laker teammate.
Millersville won both the individual and team titles, but it was a close victory for the Marauders. California was better by four strokes on Sunday, by fell a single shot shy of overcoming the five-stroke advantage that MU held coming into the final day.
Individually, Weber shot an identical four-over 75 as runner-up Diana Munoz (Gannon) on Sunday, but Weber’s one-stroke advantage from Saturday proved to be enough to propel her to the win, finishing the tournament with a six-over 148.
California’s Rachel Lim finished in third place with a 12-over 154.
Kutztown’s Madison Beer and California’s Carla Maestre tied for fourth, each shooting a six-over 77 in round one and a nine-over 80 in the final round.
Coming into Sunday, the Mercyhurst men trailed Clarion by seven strokes. The Lakers erased that deficit and won by an 11-stroke margin after the team shot a combined 290 for the final round.
Kupniewski and Hogan were tied atop the standings at three-over 145. Hogan shot one of only two under-par rounds on the weekend with a one-under 70 on Sunday. Kupniewski was steady, shooting a two-over 73 in the first round and a one-over 72 in the second round.
Kirby Manown from California finished in third after shooting identical two-over 73s on each day.
West Chester claimed fourth and fifth place. Corey Smith carded the lowest round of the tournament, shooting a two-under 69, and finished in fourth. Andrew Patterson shot a three-over 74 on each day and finished the weekend with a six-over 148.
ROUND ONE:
Hershey, Pa. - The first round of the PSAC Golf Championships were played under windy, chilly conditions at the Hershey Country Club. For the women, Millersville will head into day two with a five stroke lead over California. On the men’s side, Clarion leads all teams after the best round of the day, a one-over 72, was carded by Sean Edgar.
The Millersville women were led by Shannon Weber, who is the individual leader with a two-over 74. Weber, who was the PSAC Freshman of the Year last season, has finished in the top five of every event she’s competed in this year. Danielle Greene and Danielle Freed also carded top 10 scores for the Marauders.
Just a single stroke behind Weber is Gannon’s Diana Munoz. Munoz is a two-time PSAC Golfer of the Week this year.
California sits in second place in the team standings, five strokes behind Millersville. The Vulcans also finished with three top 10 scores, with Rachel Lim, Carla Maestre, and Cara Vanderham all carding top rounds.
The first round was closely contested on the men’s side, with the top seven teams separated by just 11 strokes. The Golden Eagles from Clarion are seven strokes ahead of second place Mercyhurst. Four strokes are all that separate Mercyhurst (second), IUP (third), California (fourth), West Chester (fifth), Gannon (t-sixth), and Millersville (t-sixth).
Edgar’s 72 led the pack on the men’s side, but right behind him is California’s Kirby Manown and Mercyhurst’s Chris Kupniewski. Both Manown and Kupniewski carded a two-over 73.
Clarion sits in first place after round one after three Golden Eagles carded top 10 scores: Edgar, Loren Dukate, who shot a three-over 74 and is tied for fourth place, and Fisher Bagiatis, who is tied for ninth after a six-over 77.
PREVIEW STORY:
Hershey, Pa.- The PSAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships will take place in Hershey, Pa. this weekend. Eight women’s teams* and eight men’s teams will compete for the PSAC titles on the Hershey Country Club East Course.
Both the men and women will play 18 holes on both Saturday and Sunday to make-up the two-round 36-hole tournament. Tee-times are scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. The women will tee-off from hole No. 1 on Saturday and hole No. 10 on Sunday. The men are slated to start from hole No. 10 on Saturday and hole No. 1 on Sunday.
California claimed the 2014 women’s title, its fifth title in the past seven years. Kutztown finished nine strokes behind the Vulcans to take second. California finished the two-day tournament with a combined score of 633 (+65).
Top finishers returning to this year’s tournament include runners-up California’s
Carla Maestre and West Chester's
Lacey Bensing. Maestre and Bensing each shot a combined score of 157 (+15) for the tournament.
Top 10 finishers returning for this year’s tournament include
Rachel Lim and
Cara Vanderham from California,
Hope Giordano from Kutztown,
Courtney Newport from Seton Hill, and
Diana Munoz from Gannon.
Capturing the title in the men’s tournament was West Chester. It was the first title for the Golden Rams since the 2006 season. West Chester finished the two-day tournament with a combined score of 604 (+36). Finishing three strokes behind the Golden Rams was IUP, 607 (+39)
2014 individualist medalist
Matt Barto of Gannon returns for this year’s tournament. Last year, Barto shot a combined score of 147 (+5), capturing the title after winning a playoff against Millersville’s
Rob Rowe, who also returns
.
Top returners from last year’s tournament include IUP’s
Kenneth Sames who finished tied for third, shooting 148 (+6) and Mercyhurst’s
Chris Kupniewski, who finished tied for sixth, shooting 152 (+10).
*Clarion will have three women competing as individuals