Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Patriot League Championship
BUCKNELL MEN'S GOLF BRINGS HOME FIRST PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
4/23/2006 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
April 23, 2006
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Powered by another scintillating performance from junior Charlie Waddell (Wilmette, Ill./Lake Forest Academy), Bucknell captured its very first Patriot League championship in the sport of men's golf on Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Course.
Waddell's two-putt par on the 54th hole gave the Bison a narrow two-shot victory over nine-time champion Army. It also left Waddell at 3-under par for the tournament, making him the league's first-ever repeat individual champion by a whopping 10-shot margin.
"I'm really proud of the way we performed," said coach Jim Cotner, whose team finished a close second to Army in 2005. "It really was a team effort, with a lot of different guys stepping up. We counted at least one score from every player, which is what you need to win a championship."
With the victory, Bucknell has automatically qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the first time. The regionals will be held May 18-20 at one of three sites: Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., Sand Ridge Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio, or Tucson National Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz. The finals are May 31 to June 3 at Crosswater Golf Club at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore.
 Joanna Kreps of the Patriot League presents the 2006 championship hardware to senior Ben Pellicani (L) and junior Charlie Waddell.  |
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The Bison shot an opening-round 299 in a steady rain on Saturday to grab an early four-shot lead on Army. By the end of the second round, which started Saturday but had to be concluded on Sunday morning, Bucknell had picked up another stroke on the Black Knights, shooting 298 to Army's 299. When the sun finally broke out in the afternoon, the defending champs made things interesting, riding Joey Cave's 2-under 69 to a 296 team total, but the Bison shot 299 again to win by two (896-898).
Waddell shot 69 in sloppy conditions in the first round, then backed it up with rounds of 70 and 71 for a 3-under total of 210. That is the second-lowest score by a Bucknell player in the Patriot League Tournament, second only to Waddell's own 209 last season. Waddell also made the All-Patriot League Team for the third straight season.
Another hero for the Bison was junior Patrick Yingling (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield Area), who shook off an ugly 87 in the first round to and finished with 76-73. With no other Bison breaking 77 in the final round, the 73 proved huge in the two-shot victory. Yingling's 236 total placed him in a tie for 22nd.
Senior Ben Pellicani (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park), who grew up not far from Annapolis, overcame a sore back to shoot 77-76-78 and finish in 11th place. Sophomore Keita Aoki (Tokyo, Japan/St. Mary's International School) was Bucknell's fourth counter in the third round. His 77 was his best score of the tournament.
Junior Kyle Moran (Greenwich, Conn./Brunswick School) and sophomore Rahul Desai both shot 80 in the final round, but both were key contributors earlier in the tournament. Moran opened with 77-76 and finished tied for 12th at 233. Desai, playing in the championship for the first time, shot a clutch 76 in the first round and 79 in the second, and he tied for 20th place.
Army placed three players in the top 10 in the individual standings. Austin Luher shot 76-72-72 for a 220 total, which left him a distant second to Waddell. Cave (75-78-69) tied for third, and Pat Beverly (77-76-76) tied for eighth.
Host Navy pieced together the low team round of the tournament with a final-round 293, but the Midshipmen finished in third place at 910, 12 shots behind second-place Army. Lehigh finished fourth at 928, followed by Colgate (941), Holy Cross (943) and Lafayette (945).
For the second straight year, Cotner was named Patriot League Coach of the Year.
The men's golf title the sixth Patriot League championship for Bucknell in 2005-06. Bucknell has already won titles in women's soccer, women's cross country, women's indoor track and field, women's swimming and diving and men's basketball.
The Bison are scheduled to send a contingent to the St. Peter's Invitational on Tuesday prior to heading to the NCAA Regionals next month. Bucknell is the two-time defending champion at St. Peter's.
