NAC Golf Championship Weekend for 11 teams
CANTON, New York – A total of 11 teams from North Atlantic Conference institutions will take to the links of Partridge Run Golf & Country Club this weekend in the quest for the 2023 North Atlantic Conference Men’s Golf Championship.
The two-day event tees off at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 7 and the 36-hole championship concludes Sunday, October 8 with the first tee off at 10:00 a.m. Saturday's play concludes with a 12:30 p.m. tee off and Sunday's final tee time is 11:30 a.m. Groups will be teeing off from both the #1 and #10 holes. Partridge Run Golf & Country Club features a par-72, 6,569-yard layout.
Husson University has won two straight championships and 14 of the the 17 titles since the NAC began a men's golf championship in the 2006-07 season. SUNY Delhi, back-to-back winners in 2019-20 and 2020-21, will look for its third title overall. The Eagles led the 11-team field in the pre-championship voting among the conference's head coaches. Husson had 117 points and nine first place votes, while SUNY Canton and SUNY Delhi were tied for second. Each team had 103 points and one first place vote.
The complete poll results and capsule previews for the North Atlantic Conference’s 11 teams are below:
1. Husson University – 117 pts. (9 first-place votes)
Head Coach: Kent Clark
Husson returns all five players from the 2021 and 2022 championship teams...Husson set a program record with a score of 277 against Thomas...Jack King was the NAC medalist last season with a two-over 142...At the Thomas Invitational, the Eagles won the team title led by a first place finish from Will Kavanaugh, while Chris Kauppila and Jack King tied for second...Cade Charron finished in fifth place at the John Queenan Memorial...Max Woodman's ninth place finish led to the team's ninth place standing at the Bowdoin Invitational.
Tied - 2. SUNY Canton – 103 pts. (1 first place vote)
Head Coach: Mark Bickelhaupt
Returning to this year's NAC Championship from the Roos are Adam Szlamczynski (who finished fifth last season) and Anthony Marion (a seventh place finish in 2022)...The Roos have won three events this fall...Szlamczynski has led SUNY Canton in seven of the team’s 10 events as he has won medalist honors at three events...He also finished second at the Clarkson Invitational where he shot a program record score of 3-under par, 69...Jayden Romig placed first at the Wells College Classic (72 | +2).
Tied - 2. SUNY Delhi – 103 pts. (1 first place vote)
Head Coach: Dave Arehart
Two Delhi players return to the NAC Championship this season...The Broncos won four of their first five invites as a team this fall, led by numerous quality performances by multiple golfers....They most recently placed third overall out of 12 at the Oswego Fall Invitational...Standout performers this season include Thomas Christoffersen (second in last year's championship at 143), and freshman John Souva and Noah Tyler, all of whom have won an individual invitational...Jordan Stanley also returns from 2022.
4. Thomas College – 88 pts.
Head Coach: Marc Gosselin
Three of this season's Thomas players are returning from last year's NAC Championship...Dylan Cunningham finished third last year, five strokes off the pace...He is joined by Miles Kirby and Campbell Macomber...Cunningham earned meadlist honors at the John Queenan Memorial Tournament hosted by St. Joseph's (Maine)...Thomas had one first place tournament finish (at home at the Waterville Country Club) and two third place finishes this fall.
5. UMaine-Farmington – 67 pts.
Head Coach: Bob Timmins
Ryan Sargent finished third in last year's NAC Championship, carding a six-over 146, just four strokes off the top spot...Neil LaRochelle returns for his third straight NAC Championship, and has six top-10 tournament finishes in 2023...He finished tied for 16th last season...Four of last year's five players from Farmington return...Jack Burton and Chris Frey are back for the Beavers...Farmington shot a season low 332 at Purpoodock Country Club in Cape Elizabeth, finishing with a third place finish...The Beavers have four top-three finishes this fall.
6. SUNY Cobleskill – 66 pts.
Head Coach: Megan Bowman
Josh House and Sean McMahon return from last year's tournament...House was tied for ninth in the NAC tourney last fall with an 11-over, 151...House had a sixth place finish at his home course of Cobleskill Golf & Country Club in the SUNY Cobleskill Invitational...First Year Taylor Brock was second in the SUNY Poly Fall Invitational...Leo Rosenstadt took second at the Russell Sage College Invitational...The Tigers were second in the SUNY Cobleskill invite and had two othe top three finishes.
7. Maine Maritime – 60 pts.
Head Coach: Noah Tapley
Thomas Parker and Brody Hawrthorne return to the NAC Championship in 2023...Parker has been the top Mariners golfer in two events, including finishing tied for second at the UMPI Invitational with a 76 (+4)...Hawthorne was 22nd in last year's NAC tourney...First-year Mac McCarthy has three top-10 finishes in five starts including a top-five finish at the Husky Invitational shooting a 76 (+5)...The Mariners put together a third place team finish at the Husky Invitational with a team score of 321 on October 1, to secure their best team finish of the year.
8. VTSU Johnson – 41 pts.
Head Coach: Matt Hill
Adiance Cheromiah and Joey Giroux return from last season's NAC tournament...Cheromiah was 14th last year...He has led the Badgers all season in the #1 position with Giroux, the former NAC Rookie of the Year Joey Giroux, behind him...The Badgers will look to first year player Jack Senecal to complete for this year's Rookie of the Year honor.
9. SUNY Poly – 39 pts.
Head Coach: Brian Noggle
Isaac Falk returns from last year's team that took sixth in its first NAC Championship...The Wildcats' team score of 330 at the NAC Championship was the best team score of the 2022 season, which was the first season of men's golf at SUNY Poly since 2011-12...The Tigers had a fifth place finish at the SUNY Poly Invitational...Falk finished 10th in that event with a 12-over 83...Eric Perricelli placed 15th in that tournament, carding a 14-over 85.
10. UMaine-Presque Isle – 28 pts.
Head Coach: Gavin Kane
Four of last year's UMPI competitors return to the NAC Championship in 2023...Payton Jones has shown his consistency as the Owls # 1, averaging in the low 80's each round...His season low was an 82 at the UMF Invitational...Brandon Oliver had a season low 83 at his home course, Presque Isle Country Club at the UMPI Invitational, where he shot a 38 on the back...Timothy Burns and Joey Lippo also return to the NAC Championship...The Owls shot a 343 at the UMPI Invitational, a team low since entering the NAC six years ago.
11. Eastern Nazarene - 14 pts.
Head Coach: Brad Zarges
The Lions compete in their first NAC Championship and feature four rookies in the lineup...Junior Jacob Zarges is the veteran in the lineup...He shot a 92 in the 10-team Brett Williamson Invitational at Tekoa Country Club...Sophomores Joey Hanlon and Tyler Worley are in their first golf seasons while the freshmen are Nate Caldwell and Jacob Golden.