SPRINGFIELD, PA – Louie Giovacchini (Windermere, FL/Windermere) shot even-par 70 in the second round and two-over 142 to finish fifth individually and lead the Rider University men's golf team to a seventh place finish of 13 teams at the Columbia Spring Invitational Monday at Rolling Green Golf Club. Playing with six players and counting the top five scores, the Broncs shot 370 (+20) in both rounds.

Starting both rounds on the 10^th hole, Giovacchini started slow in the second round with a pair of bogeys in his first four holes. But he played the remainder of the round at or under par, carding birdies on the Par 4 1^st and 2^nd holes and parring the remaining 12 holes. All told, he played a consistent two rounds, with three birdies, five bogeys and 28 pars.

Ben Ortwein (Easton, PA/Notre Dame) was the Broncs' next-best finisher with a 75 (+5) in the first round and a 73 (+3) in the second for a total of 148 (+8), good for a tie for 32^nd. Rick van der Nat (Noordwijk, The Netherlands/Visser 't Hooft) was a stroke back at 75-74-149 (+9, T-36^th), while Jack Urban (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) was an additional shot back at 77-73-150 (+10, T-41^st). Joey Lostombo (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and Zander Gibson (Concord, OH/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) carded identical 74-80-154 (+14, T-68^th) scores to round out the Broncs' competitors.

QUOTES & NOTES
"Up and down day for us. As a whole, we hit it really good and putted poorly. Louie played great all day." – Rider Head Coach Jason Barry

- Harvard ran away with the team title, shooting 706 (+6) for the two rounds, 16 strokes ahead of second-place Columbia (722, +22).
- Harvard's Brian Ma broke 70 in both rounds to take medalist honors at 68-66-134 (-6).
- The Broncs played the Par 3's at +17, the second-best team score of the tournament. van der Nat and Ortwein both played the Par 3's at -1.
- Giovacchini's +1 on the Par 4's was the third-best score of the tournament.
- Giovacchini's 28 pars were second-most of the tournament.
- The Broncs were one of two MAAC schools to compete in the tournament, and were joined by Saint Peter's. The Peacocks finished a distant 13^th (771, +71).   

UP NEXT
The Broncs return to action this weekend at the Princeton Invitational at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton. The Broncs will begin teeing off at 8:50 a.m. in Saturday's first round, before a 1:35 tee off in the day's second round. Sunday's final round is set to begin between 8:15-9:45 a.m., dependent upon team standing following the first two rounds.