College Golf
Rider 3rd of 9 at MAAC Championships
Parker Mann All-MAAC
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—The Rider University golf team shot a final round 293 and the Broncs placed third of nine team with a 54-hole total of 902 at the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, the best finish for the Broncs since the 2010 season.
The round of 293 ties the best-ever MAAC Championship round by a Rider squad. The Broncs shot an opening round 293 in 2005 and also finished third that season.
The three-day tournament was held at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course, a par 72, 6,700 yard venue.
Rider opened the tournament with a 310 on Friday and shot 299 in the 18-hole round on Saturday.
Of the 56 rounds that Rider has competed in at the MAAC Championships, only six of the rounds have had a team score below 300 and two of them came this weekend.
Siena won a one-hole playoff over Manhattan after both teams tied with a team score of 890 after 54 holes. Iona was fourth (905) followed by Fairfield and Saint Peter's (908), Niagara (910), Canisius (911) and Monmouth (928).
“The guys played a great round today,” said head coach Jason Barry. “I'm proud of how we played and the way we rebounded from a tough spring season. The program has come a long way.”
For Rider individually, junior Parker Mann (Blauvelt, N.Y./Tappan Zee) finished tied for ninth (224) out of 45 golfers after shooting rounds of 77-74-73 to earn All-MAAC honors.
“Parker fought hard,” said Barry. “He holed out from the sand on the last hole to finish All-MAAC. He always has a great attitude and battled hard this spring.”
Rider's last All-MAAC golfer was James Buttermark who was seventh at MAACs as a rookie in 2011.
Senior Joe Hughes (Tabernacle/Seneca) placed 12th (226) with rounds of 75-78-73 with senior Tom Yarson (Montgomery) scoring a 227, tying for 13th after rounds of 79-73-75.
“Joey is an amazing talent,” said Barry. “He played an awesome round today and we will miss him next year. Tommy played solid as well. If not for three bogies on the back nine, he would have been right around par.”
Juniors Aaron Simone (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) and Sam DiGaetano (Titusville/Hopewell Valley Central) each shot 229 to finish tied for 18th place. Simone had rounds of 80-75-74 with DiGaetano scoring rounds of 79-77-73.
Nicholas Dilio from Saint Peter's was the medalist, shooting rounds of 70-72-70 (212), winning by five shots.
Last year, Rider shot a team total of 918 (307-303-308) to place fifth at the championship.
In 2014, Rider scored an eighth place finish (959) (329-313-317) at Disney's Palm Golf Course.
In 2013, the Broncs placed seventh (952) after rounds of 327-314-311 at Palm.
In 2011 and 2012, Rider was eighth with scores of 977 (328-326-323 in 2011) and 953 in 2012 (314-316-323) at the Magnolia Course.
In 2010, Rider placed third overall with rounds of 302-312-300 for a three-day total of 914.
The spring of 2009 saw a sixth place finish for the Broncs (304-319-318) with a team total of 941 and Rider's best ever finish was in 2008 when the Broncs placed runner-up (303-295-295) with a total of 893 after a fifth place finish in 2007 (306-301-326) for a total of 933.
In 2006, Rider was fourth (927), with the Broncs third in 2005 (913), and fifth in 2004 (932).
In 2003, Rider was fourth (945) and the Broncs were also fourth (921) in 2002.
Rider returns three letterwinners for the 2016-17 season.
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