WINTHROP, Mass. – Rhode Island College will be seeking its sixth Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Golf Championship in as many years this weekend when the University of Southern Maine hosts this year's two-day event at Gorham Country Club in Gorham, Maine.
RIC received four first-place votes and 76 points to lead the way in the annual GNAC coaches' poll, as announced on Thursday afternoon by the league office. Southern Maine finished second with 67 points and four first-place nods, while Saint Joseph's College of Maine finished third with 58 points and one first-place tally. The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth was one point back of SJC for the fourth spot.
Under the watch of Head Coach Jamie Smyth '92, Saint Joseph's has won five tournaments this fall, including the State of Maine Championship – for the second-consecutive season. The Monks are led by senior Michael Caron (Gorham, Maine), who has finished in the top 10 in seven different events this fall with one Medalist effort and a pair of runner-up performances to his credit.
RIC sophomore Tom Sheran received the 2015 GNAC Golfer and Rookie of the Year awards after earning medalist honors last fall with a 78-77—155.
Finishing fifth in the ledger was Johnson & Wales University with 46 points, narrowly ahead of Worcester State University (44 points), which finished as runner-up to RIC at last year's GNAC Championship. Two of the three Worcester State student-athletes to earn All-Conference honors last fall – senior Steven Ferraro and junior Mike Jezierski – are back in 2016.
Rounding out the coaches' poll was Suffolk University with 25 points, Emmanuel College (Mass.) with 20 points and Albertus Magnus College with 12 points.
The championship tees off on Saturday morning and concludes Sunday, with sunny weather approaching 60 degrees each day in the forecast. Spectators are not permitted to bring dogs or use tobacco products during the tournament. For more information on the course, please visit gorhamcountryclub.com.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2016 GNAC Men's Golf Championship Coaches' Poll
1. Rhode Island Coll. (4) – 76
2. Southern Maine (4) – 67
3. Saint Joseph's of Maine (1) – 58
4. UMass Dartmouth – 57
5. Johnson & Wales – 46
6. Worcester State – 44
7. Suffolk – 25
8. Emmanuel – 20
9. Albertus Magnus - 12
COURTESY OF GNAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
