WORCESTER, Mass. --- For the first time in its history the Assumption College men's golf team will play in the N.C.A.A. Division II Tournament. The Hounds, who finished third in the Northeast-10 Conference, will be playing in the Super Qualifier at River Greens Golf Club in West Lafayette, Ohio. The tournament is hosted by the University of Charleston (West Virginia), Monday through Wednesday, April 29-May 1.
Seventy nine teams and 44 individuals were selected to participate in the 2002 N.C.A.A. Division II Men's Golf Championship Super Regionals. All teams and individuals will play three rounds of 18-holes to determine those who move on to the national final. Eighteen teams and 12 individuals advance to the championship May 21-24 at the Mission in Golf Club in Howey-in-the Hills, Florida. The final is hosted by Rollins College and Central Florida Sports Commission.
Only three-time Massachusetts Amateur Golf-of-the-Year Frank Vana '86 and Patrick Dunn '89 have played in an N.C.A.A. event for the Greyhounds, both as individual performers.
The Hounds are one of five Northeast-10 Conference schools participating in the event . . . along with Bryant College, LeMoyne College, Bentley College and Pace University. Bob Cain of the College of Saint Rose will participate as an individual.
The Greyhounds are led by junior two-time all-New England, three-time all-Northeast-10 Conference selection and 1999 Northeast-10 Conference Freshman-of-the-Year ERIC NAGLIERI (E. Longmeadow, MA/E. Longmeadow). Naglieri, recently named the team's Most Valuable Player, owns a 77.3 medal average and has played 10 of his 11 rounds this year in the 70s. His 'worst' round was an 80 in the New Englands, while his best were a 72 in the Nichols Invitational and again in the Northeast-10 championship. Only BRIAN JEROME (Bridgeport, CT) with a team-record 69 at the Nichols Golf Course (May 12, 1970) and PATRICK DUNN (Worcester, MA) with a 71 at New Seabury Country Club (September 29, 1987) have had lower rounds.
Naglieri is the first golfer in Hounds' history to record two rounds of 72 or lower in a single season and merely the second (Dunn is the other) to do it in a career. He carded a 76-72--148 to finish fifth in the Northeast-10 Conference meet. The 148 is the best in Hounds' history bettering the previous mark of 149 set by Pat Dunn '89 with a 71-78--149 at the 1987 New Englands.
Head coach TIM BIBAUD, now in his seventh year with the Greyhounds, will bring a disadvantaged Greyhounds team to Ohio for the first N.C.A.A. appearance for his team. His number four player, junior JOE JOHN (East Longmeadow, MA/East Longmeadow) (82.0) is in Australia on a semester abroad program, while promising sophomore JOSH FARMER (Spencer, MA/Holy Name) (83.6) broke his wrist only last week.
Naglieri will be joined by two second-team all-Northeast-10 Conference performers in junior KEITH BAIRD (Bedford, MA/Bedford) and freshman CHRIS COWELL (Burlington, CT/Burlington), the former Connecticut high school all-stater,. Baird has a 79.6 medal average, with three rounds 75 or lower, while Cowell owns an 81.1 medal average with five rounds in the 70s.
Also in the mix will be senior captain, and former all-NE-10 performer, TIM ANGER (Sutton, MA/St. John's) (83.4) and ANDY WALSH (Ramsay, NJ/Ramsay), who was injured for most of the fall season. The top four scores count toward the final team score.
Fans can access up-to the-minute scores at www.golfstat.com during the tournament.