College Sports Roundup: Titan Golfers Finish 11th

By  //  May 18, 2014

Titan Golfers Finish 11th in National Championship Tournament

EASTERN FLORIDA STATE MEN’S COLLEGE GOLF – Eastern Florida’s golf team struggled through the final round of this year’s NJCAA Division I National Championship Tournament on Friday to finish well behind the leaders.

Jamie Howell
Jamie Howell

“We just succumbed to the conditions,” said Eastern Florida head coach Jamie Howell.

“It wasn’t for lack of effort. Marginal to poor golf on this course coupled with the weather adds up to high scores. It was disappointing to finish as we did.”

Eastern Florida, making its 12th consecutive nationals appearance finished with a final round of 315 to go with its opening round of 324 and rounds of 298 and 312 for a 72-hole total of 1,249. The Titans finished in 11th place.

Drew Cooke
Drew Cooke

Friday’s final round was played under overcast skies with temperatures in the low 50s and a 7 mph wind.

Iowa’s Indian Hills Community College won the team championship with a 72-hole total of 1,190.

Individually at Spirit Hollow Golf Course in Burlington, Iowa freshman Brad Gray finished with a 76 for a total of 309, the best for the Titans.

Arthur Leonard
Arthur Leonard

Gray tied for 29th. Sophomore Nick Maynard shot 78 to finish at 312, tied for 40th; sophomore Kyle Benson shot 83 to finish at 315, tied for 52nd; freshman Drew Cooke shot 83 to finish at 319 along with sophomore Arthur Leonard who closed with a 78. They tied for 62nd.

Cooper Brown of Alabama’s Wallace State Community College and David Wicks of Midland (Texas) Community College were tied atop the individual leader board at 293 for 72 holes.

Ward and Chavarria Earn ABCA/Rawlings Honors

FLORIDA TECH BASEBALL – A pair of Florida Tech Panthers were among the award recipients, as the American Baseball Coaches Association announced its All-Region and Golden Glove Teams for the South Region.

Junior Scotty Ward was named ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region, and senior Jorge Chavarria earned First Team Golden Glove honors. (Florida Tech image)
Junior Scotty Ward was named ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region, and senior Jorge Chavarria earned First Team Golden Glove honors. (Florida Tech image)

Junior Scotty Ward was named ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region, and senior Jorge Chavarria earned First Team Golden Glove honors.

Ward, a native of Port Orange, Fla., started 12 games on the mound this season for the Panthers. He recorded a 5-2 record, and led the club with a 1.98 ERA. His 1.98 ERA was the third best in the Sunshine State Conference during the regular season. Ward pitched 81.2 innings, and registered three complete games. For his performance, Ward was also named Second Team All-SSC.

Jorge Chavarria
Jorge Chavarria

Chavarria started all 47 games for the Panthers this season at shortstop. He recorded 67 putouts and 168 assists in the field. Chavarria committed only eight errors, and finished the season with a .967 fielding percentage. At the plate, Chavarria was fourth on the team with a .275 batting average. He recorded 12 doubles, one home run, and 26 RBIs. The Harmony, Fla. native was also tied for second on the team with 33 runs scored.

Scotty Ward
Scotty Ward

Sal Giardina of Lynn was named the Position Player of the Year, and West Florida’s Jordan DeLorenzo earned Pitcher of the Year honors. The head coach from the team that wins the NCAA South Region Championship will be named the Coach of the Year.

Chavarria will be eligible for NCAA Division II Rawlings All-American Gold Glove consideration, which will be selected on Sunday, May 26 in Cary, N.C. in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship.

Larsson Shoots a Final Round 78 at NCAA Championships

FLORIDA TECH WOMEN’S GOLF – The 2014 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships wrapped up on Saturday with final round play at Rock Barn Golf & Spa.

Johanna Larsson
Johanna Larsson

Florida Tech freshman Johanna Larsson concluded the championships with a seven-over-par round of 78, and finished in a tie for 31st. Lynn won both the team and individual national championships.

The final round 78 gave Larsson a tournament total of 305. She birdied the par-4 12th, but a string of four bogeys in a row resulted in a 41 for the back nine.

Lynn took home its second consecutive NCAA Championship. The Fighting Knights shot the best team round of the tournament on Saturday with a 282. Louise Manalo of Lynn won the individual national championship. Manalo shot a three-under-par 68 for the final round, and finished the tournament with a 287. She finished one shot ahead of her teammate Jessica Bradley.

Chris Saltmarsh
Chris Saltmarsh

“All week Johanna struggled to score,” said head coach Chris Saltmarsh.

“She did not play poorly, but she did not play as well as she had been. She had some good shots, but just did not make putts. However, it was a good atmosphere and a good experience for her.”