WATERVILLE, Maine – The Saint Joseph's College golf team won the University of Maine-Farmington Invitational with a 298 team card at Waterville Country Club on Thursday. Four Monks linkers finished with sub-80 scores, including 74 cards from both junior Mike Caron (Gorham, Maine) and freshman Cam Letourneau.

Senior Ryan Berard (Millville, Mass.) and freshman Adam Hachey (Winthrop, Maine) both scored a 75 and sophomore Brandon Labrecque (Gorham, Maine) added an 88 in what was the program's first victory since the 2007 campaign.

Leading by one stroke on the 18th hole with each team's top golfer finishing the day, Caron clinched the Monks' victory when he sunk a putt for par – after nearly posting a birdie on a difficult shot that lipped the cup.

University of Southern Maine finished second with a 299 card while University of New England was third with a 300 score. Maine-Farmington (305), Maine Maritime (321) and Thomas College (339) rounded out the competing programs in the annual event.

UNE's Paul Butkevich captured medalist honors after shooting a one-over par 71 on the afternoon.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Today's victory is the Monks' first since the team won the UNE Invitational with a 300 score at Cape Arundel Golf Club on September 27th, 2007 – Saint Joseph's has won 11 events since the start of the 1999 campaign
• St. Joe's featured four golfers with sub-80 cards for the first time since 2003 and just the fourth time in the last 16 seasons – Caron (5), Letourneau (6), Berard (8) and Hachey (10) all placed in the top 10 today
• The Monks' 298 score counts as the second-lowest since 1999 – the best score over the last 16 years was recorded in the 2004 Maine State Championship when SJC claimed the team title with a 295 card at Rivierside Golf Course

UP NEXT

• Saint Joseph's returns to action next Tuesday (Sept. 8) when the Monks host the 13th Annual John Queenan Memorial Tournament at Point Sebago Golf Resort in Casco. The yearly tournament is named in memory of John Queenan, a 2003 graduate of Bow High School who died tragically in an automobile accident just prior to the beginning of his freshman year at Saint Joseph's
• The Monks have never won their home tournament, but have finished second on four occasions, including last season when the Royal Blue posted a 344 card
• The team's lowest score in the Queenan Tournament was a 307, which was carded in the 2004 event
• Caron looks to keep his Queenan streak alive, as the junior standout has won the tourney in each of the last two seasons, sporting a 74 score in 2013 and a 72 in 2014

#GOMONKS

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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 474-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.