Bobcats wrap up East Regional with eighth place finish

WHEELING, W.Va.—Concord University made sure that the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship's host school would be a participant. The third-seeded Mountain Lions completed a wire-to-wire victory at the East Regional with a six-shot victory over Clarion University.

The Mountain Lions also claimed the regional's individual medalist as senior Matt Horn's 216 total left him three strokes ahead of Charleston's Michael Todd. Todd also qualifies for the May 16-19 national tournament at the Resort at Glade Spring's Cobb Course by virtue of being the low individual not on a qualifying team.

Horn completed his regional tournament with a solid one-over par 73. Todd closed with a 71, which tied teammate Brandon Reece and Ohio Valley's Taylor Fitzpatrick for the low round of the day.

Charleston made a late charge to finish seven strokes back in the team race at 921. The Golden Eagles' 296 final round total was the event's single-day low. Fairmont State finished fourth with a 928, while Ohio Valley was fifth at 930.

Clarion's Justin Moose finished third in the individual race at 225. Reece (227) was fourth and Ohio Valley's Ben Harwood (228) finished fifth. In-state natives Justin Caroli (Fairmont State, Bridgeport), Matt Gissy (Weston) and Matt Hicks (West Liberty State, Sissonville) each ended at 229 for a three-way sixth place tie.

Concord also received a 12th place finish from Darcy Donaldson (232). John Ritchey (233) tied for 15th and Luke Tonkin (235) ended in 20th.

The Bobcats, who started the tournament in a tie for second place after firing a 315 on day one, finished in eighth place at 954.

Gissy was the highest finishing member of the Wesleyan squad. His tie for sixth place came on a 77-73-79—229.

Joe Darmafall (Moundsville) (242, T-32nd), Graham Reger (Cross Lanes) (242, T-32nd), Josh Arbaugh (Canvas) (248, T-39th), and Frank Hedderich (Waynesboro, Va.) (248, T-39th) competed in the three-day tournament for the Bobcats.

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Reger named honorable mention All-WVIAC
April 25, 2006

PRINCETON, W.Va.—Sophomore Graham Reger (Cross Lanes) has been named honorable mention All-WVIAC after averaging a 75.00 in the conference’s sanctioned tournaments.

Graham’s highest finish—a tie for 8th—came at the Concord Invitational on March 29 and 30 at Pipestem Country Club in Pipestem. Reger fired a 77-72 for a five-over par 149.

The sophomore’s highest finish in a league sanctioned tournament (75-81—156, +14) was a tie for 11th place at the WVIAC Northern Regional at Wheeling's Speidel Golf Club.

Reger’s lowest round of the year came when he shot a 71 on the first day of the WVIAC Southern Regional. His 77 on day two gave him an overall score of 148. The four-over par was his lowest two-day total of the season.

Concord University junior Darcy Donaldson is the West Virginia Conference Men's Golfer of the Year after posting a 71.7 average in the four league sanctioned tournaments. The Marathon, Ontario native recorded under-par rounds on four occasions and has led the Mountain Lions to a third place ranking among NCAA Division II East Region squads.

On the season, Donaldson owns five tournament victories and has placed in the top ten in 11 of 12 events. His 72.5 average score paces all players in the East Region.

Fairmont State's Reid Amos was named by his peers as the league's Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season. Amos, a Fairmont native and FSU graduate, coached the Falcons to their first WVIAC championship since 1992. FSU currently owns their highest regional rank in school history at fifth and will make a second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II post-season in May at the East Regional.

Donaldson and Fairmont State's Jon Burnside are the lone players to repeat as first team All-WVIAC players from the 2004-05 squad. Burnside claimed the individual medalist honors on Wednesday at the WVIAC Championship.

Charleston, Ohio Valley, and Concord each have a pair of members of the first team. Brandon Reece and Michael Todd represent Charleston, while J.C. Beecroft and Ben Harwood are the Ohio Valley honorees. Matt Horn joins Donaldson from Concord. Wheeling Jesuit's Brett Hambleton rounds out the eight-member first team.

The second team consists of Ohio Valley's Greg Lemenchick and George Coton, Wheeling Jesuit's Matt Schwalm, Fairmont State's Will Gautreau, and 2005 WVIAC Player of the Year Matt Hicks.

David Lane (West Liberty State) and Mike Keiffer (West Virginia State) are the other two golfers receiving honorable mention accolades.


2005-06 All-WVIAC Men’s Golf:

1st Team
Darcy Donaldson (Concord, Jr., Marathon, ONT, 71.71 avg.)
Brandon Reece (Charleston, Jr., Charleston, W.Va., 72.29 avg.)
J.C. Beecroft (Ohio Valley, Fr., Newcastle, ONT, 72.57 avg.)
Jon Burnside (Fairmont State, Jr., Fairmont, W.Va., 72.57 avg.)
Michael Todd (Charleston, Jr., Coshocton, Ohio, 72.57 avg.)
Brett Hambleton (Wheeling Jesuit, Sr., East Liverpool, Ohio, 73.86 avg.)
Ben Harwood (Ohio Valley, Soph., High Wycombe, UK, 74.14 avg.)
Matt Horn (Concord, Sr., Clarkston, Mich., 74.29 avg.)

2nd Team
Matt Hicks (West Liberty State, Jr., Sissonville, W.Va., 74.43 avg.)
Will Gautreau (Fairmont State, Soph., Niagara on the Lake, ONT, 74.43 avg.)
Matt Schwalm (Wheeling Jesuit, Soph., Rochester, N.Y., 74.43 avg.)
Greg Lemenchick (Ohio Valley, Jr., Renfrew, ONT, 74.57 avg.)
George Coton (Ohio Valley, Sr., Cultus Lake, BC, 74.57 avg.)

Honorable Mention
David Lane (West Liberty State, Jr., Coal City, W.Va., 74.71 avg.)
Graham Reger (West Virginia Wesleyan, Soph., Nitro, W.Va., 75.00 avg.)
Mike Keiffer (West Virginia State, Jr., St. Albans, W.Va., 75.57 avg.)

The super regionals will be conducted May 1-3. The sites and teams selected to participate are listed below. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in brackets next to the institution's name. The five super regional tournaments encompass the current ten regions.

The top team from each region within the super regional and the top individual not with a team from each super region (regardless of region) will advance to the finals May 16-19 at the Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, West Virginia. The finals will be hosted by Concord University and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Ten additional teams will earn berths to the finals. These teams will be determined based on the previous three-year average of top-10 finishes of a super regional at the finals. For the 2006 championships, the additional super regional allotments are as follows:

Atlantic/Southeast - Three
South/South Central - Three
West/Northwest - Four

The road to the national championship will not leave the state for six West Virginia Conference squads. Ohio Valley is the top seed in the Northeast/East Region Super Regional to be held at Wheeling's Speidel Golf Club. The University of Charleston and Concord hold down the second and third spots.

WVIAC champion Fairmont State is seeded fifth. Host West Liberty State, the seventh seed, and eighth seeded West Virginia Wesleyan complete the field. Clarion and Indiana (PA) from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference are the lone non-Mountain State squads at the East Regional.

Three WVIAC individuals will also participate in the regional. Shepherd's Bryan Snow, along with Wheeling Jesuit's Matt Schwalm and Brett Hambleton, were also selected for the post-season.

NORTHEAST/EAST SUPER REGIONAL
Speidel Golf Club; Wheeling, West Virginia; hosted by West Liberty State College.

Northeast Region:
1. St. Thomas Aquinas
2. Bryant [Northeast-10 Conference]
3. Post [Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference]
4. Southern New Hampshire
5. Goldey-Beacom
6. Pace
7. Dominican (New York)
8. Le Moyne

Individuals:
1. Jonathan Carr, Nyack
2. Jamie Bacon, Saint Rose
3. Brent Silano, New Haven
4. Joe Ingolia, Dowling
5. John Purple, Wilmington (Delaware)

East Region:
1. Ohio Valley
2. Charleston (West Virginia)
3. Concord
4. Clarion [Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference]
5. Fairmont State [West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]
6. Indiana (Pennsylvania)
7. West Liberty State
8. West Virginia Wesleyan

Individuals:
1. Bryan Snow, Shepherd
2. Matt Schwalm, Wheeling Jesuit
3. Corey Gast, Millersville
4. Brett Hambleton, Wheeling Jesuit
5. Pete Steffy, Millersville

Winner of each region advances to finals (2 teams, 1 individual)

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va.—West Virginia Wesleyan ended the 2006 spring season with a seventh place finish at the WVIAC Golf Championship at Cacapon State Park in Berkeley Springs.

Wesleyan (323-318-314—955) was led by Graham Reger’s (Cross Lanes) 12th place finish. Reger shot 75-77-77 to close out the tournament with a 13-over par 229.

Frank Heddrich (Waynesboro, Va.) (80-83-75—238, t-30th), Matt Gissy (Weston) (88-75-82—245, 41st), Josh Arbaugh (Canvas) (80-83-84—247, t-43rd), and Derek Lathey (Ripley) (89-85-80—254, 55th) competed in the three-day tournament for the ‘Cats.

Fairmont State's final day total of 305 was good enough to hold off West Liberty State and late charging Charleston as the Falcons earned their first West Virginia Conference men's golf championship since 1992. FSU's 54-hole total of 906 finished two shots ahead of West Liberty and five shots clear of Charleston. The champion Falcons placed each of their individuals within the top 25.

The Falcons' Jon Burnside claimed the individual title after carding a 74 on Wednesday for a three-day total of three-over par 219. Michael Todd of Charleston shot the day's low round of 69 to end in second place at 222.

Fairmont State earns the automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East Region championship at Wheeling's Speidel Golf Club. As many as six West Virginia Conference teams are expected to comprise part of the eight-team field in the May 1-3 event hosted by West Liberty State College.

West Virginia Wesleyan men’s golf finished 10th out of 14 schools at the Fairmont State Invitational and 13th out of 15 schools at the IUP Invitational this week.

The Bobcats began play on Monday and Tuesday at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport. On Wednesday, Graham Reger (Cross Lanes), Derek Lathey (Ripley), Matt Gissy (Weston), and Matt Pinto (Mickleton, N.J.) played in the one-day IUP Invitational at the Indiana Country Club.

In the Fairmont State Invite, the ‘Cats shot 348-338—686 and were led by Reger’s 88-80—168. Graham placed 39th overall.

Gissy finished right behind Reger in a tie for 40th place. Matt opened with a 91, but fired a 78 on day two.

Frank Hedderich (Waynesboro, Va.) (85-88—173, t-47th) and Frank Cox (Chester, W.Va.) 92-92—184, t-64th) were the other two Bobcats completing play in the 76-man field.

Ohio Valley University won the tournament with a 309-306—615 while Charleston’s Michael Todd (72-75—147) was the individual winner.

On Wednesday, the aforementioned quartet took their game to the Indiana Country Club for the IUP Invitational.

Reger shot a 77 (t-31st), Lathey posted a 78 (t-38th), Gissy scored an 80 (51st), and Pinto finished with an 88 (t-71st).

Clarion won the tournament with a 294 while Saint Francis’ Steve Foisy defeated Allegheny’s Drew Denton on the first playoff hole for the individual title.

Wesleyan will compete in the WVIAC Championship April 16 through April 18.

*Derek Lathey is incorrectly listed as Derek Lathe (Slippery Rock) in the IUP Invitational results.

WHEELING, W.Va.—The Bobcats shot 322-324—646 and finished in sixth place out of 13 schools at the WVIAC Northern Regional on Monday and Tuesday.

Graham Reger (Cross Lanes) led the way again for Wesleyan with a 75-71—156. Reger tied for 11th place.

Joey Darmafall (Moundsville) (84-78—162) and Matt Gissy (Weston) (85-78—163) finished in ties for 25th and 27th places, respectively.

Frank Heddrich (Waynesboro, Va.) (82-87—169, 43rd) and Josh Arbaugh (Canvas) (81-90—171, t-45th) rounded out the Wesleyan field.

Ohio Valley University (306-310—616) came back from nine strokes down after day one to overtake the University of Charleston (297-321—618) for the team title.

Concord’s Darcy Donaldson was the tournament’s individual winner with a 70-75—145.

The Bobcats get set to host the Wesleyan Invitational this Friday through Sunday at the Bel Meadow Golf Club in Mt. Clare.

PIPESTEM, W.Va.—The West Virginia Wesleyan golf team posted back-to-back 301 scores to finish in second place at the Concord Invitational at Pipestem Country Club last Thursday and Friday.

All five Bobcats finished in the top 25. The field was made up of 49 golfers from seven WVIAC schools and Bluefield College (Va.).

Graham Reger (Cross Lanes) finished in a tie for eighth to lead the ‘Cats. Reger shot a 77-72—149.

Frank Heddrich (Waynesboro, Va.) (75-76—151), Joey Darmafall (Moundsville) (75-78—153), Matt Gissy (Weston) (74-79—153), and Josh Arbaugh (Canvas) (81-75—156) were the other ‘Cats to compete in the two-day tournament.

Concord won the tournament with an overall score of 585 (292-293). The host Mountain Lions also placed four golfers in the top 10, including tournament co-champion Darcy Donaldson.

Donaldson (69-71) and West Virginia State’s Mike Keiffer (73-67) each shot 140 to claim a share of the individual title.