GREENSBURG, Pa. – For the first time in program history, the Bentley University Falcons have qualified for the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships as a team.
The Falcons punched their ticket by placing second in the 2019 NCAA Division II East/Atlantic Regional, which concluded Saturday at the Totteridge Golf Club.
Coach Mickey Herron's team entered the tournament's third and final day with a one-stroke lead, but were overtaken down the stretch by regional champion Southern New Hampshire University (298-301-300-899). The Falcons, with a 304-293-303-901, finished two strokes back of their Northeast-10 Conference rivals. Also qualifying for the championships was Wilmington University (Del.), which finished with a 296-305-302-903.
Sophomore Tommy Ethier (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin HS) had Bentley's best third-day score, a one-over 73, and finished the tournament in a tie for seventh at six-over with a 222 (77-72-73). His third-round score included two birdies, a bogey, a double and 14 pars.
Senior Chris Simione (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire HS) and sophomore Robert Falconer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) were next on the leaderboard for Bentley as both tied for 18th with an 11-over 227. Simione turned in a 77-71-79 and Falconer carded 76-74-77 over the three-day event.
Sophomore Ellis Yoder (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead HS) had Bentley's second best score on Saturday as he turned in a four-over 76 with three birds. He tied for 28th overall with a 229 (74-79-76).
Rounding out the Falcon lineup was senior Doug Kulikowski (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland HS), who tied for 37th with a 232 (78-77-77).
Tournament medalist honors went to SNHU's Matt Paradis with a five-under 211 (67-70-74). He won the regional by three strokes over Shepherd University's Owen Elliott.
Bentley led the tournament in pars with 169 and par three score at 3.22. Ethier averaged a regional best 3.00 on the par three holes, and Falconer was second in pars with 40.
The NCAA Division II Championships will be held May 20-24 at The Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, W.V.
