SUTTON, MA – Saint Joseph's placed sixth with a 680 (343-337) team card in the 2012 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Golf Championship at Blackstone National Golf Club over the weekend. Junior Kevin Richardson (Coventry, Conn.) paced the Monks and finished in a tie for sixth with a 162 (82-80) score.
Boosted by three of the top individual finishers, Rhode Island College coasted to the top of the nine-team field with a 639 (316-323) card, nine strokes better than Runner-up University of Southern Maine (323-324). The Anchormen claim the GNAC title for the second consecutive season and have secured a berth in the 2013 NCAA Div. III Men's Golf Championships, which are held in May.
USM senior Josh Hogan (Falmouth, Maine) secured medalist honors with a 154 (78-76) score, two strokes ahead of Rhode Island freshman Jonathan Cooper (Berkley, Mass.) (77-79). Anchormen sophomore Ryan Butler (Windham, N.H.) shot a 158 (76-82), Johnson & Wales junior Sam Parella (Douglas, Mass.) posted a 159 (77-82), and Rhode Island senior Kyle Harper (Rehoboth, Mass.) rounded out the top five individuals with a 161 (83-78) card.
Mass.-Dartmouth placed third (655, 323-332), Johnson & Wales (658, 325-333) was fourth and Suffolk capped the top five teams with a 659 (330-329) card. Saint Joseph's, Emmanuel (702, 352-350), Worcester State (725, 361-364) and Anna Maria (DNF, DNF-345) also competed in the 2012 GNAC Championship.
For the Monks, senior Sean Drake (Lebanon, N.H.) finished in a tie for 12th with a 163 (82-81), freshman Ryan Berard (Millville, Mass.) shot a 180 (92-88) and tied for 33rd, junior Colin Finn (North Easton, Mass.) tied for 36th (184, 96-88), and senior Jake Brown (Lewiston, Maine) shot an 87 on the opening day but withdrew on day two.
Saint Joseph's will compete in the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championships, played at the Captains Course in Brewster, Mass. on Oct. 28-29.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
