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The 2016 USCAA Golf National Championship Preview

The 2016 USCAA Golf National Championship Preview
Posted: Oct 07, 2016

The 2016 USCAA Golf National Championship tees off Monday, October 10th at 9:00 A.M. from the Blue Course at Penn State University. Represented in the tournament will be 25 institutions and nearly 120 golfers. Included below is information about each team making the trip to State College, PA. This years’ tournament features three women’s teams, as they compete in the third annual USCAA Women’s Golf Invitational. For more information about the tournament, including round results, statistics, and awards please follow USCAA Golf National Championship Website.

Apprentice School

  • The Builders top three golfers are averaging a round score within two strokes of each other. Jordan Ploggers is averaging 76.14 and Perry Barber Jr. is averaging 77 strokes per round. Phillip Nelson is less than one stroke behind his teammates at 77.14.
  • Both Barber Jr. and Nelson will be able to draw from team’s sixth place finish at the 2015 USCAA Golf National Championships.

Berea College

  • Junior Kevin Kim leads the USCAA in round averages at 72.5, a 1.5 stroke lead over Cooper from Mid-Atlantic Christian University and Shearer of Penn State Mont Alto. Kim was also an All-American during last years’ tournament and a front-runner for medalist honors at this year’s event.
  • Berea College, as a team, sits in tenth place for team stroke average per round in the USCAA.
  • 2015 USCAA Golf Coach of the Year, Trent Milby, will look to improve on an eighth place finish at last year’s event.

Bluefield State College

  • In their first USCAA national championship event, the Bluefield State College Blues are led by Kirk Collins, who through five rounds is averaging 76.6 strokes per round, which places him in a tie for 15th in the USCAA.
  • JT Lester and Karson Terry are not far behind Collins, each with shooting averages of 78 on the season.
  • As a team, Bluefield State College is ranked 8th in the USCAA with a team average of 314.8 strokes per round.

Cleary University

  • The 2015 USCAA National Champions return without their individual medalist, Devin Young, but Jacob Malcangi, a  2015 USCAA second-team All-American, is ranked 14th in the association in stroke average with 76.3.
  • As a team, the Cleary University Cougars currently sit fourth with a team average per round of 312.2, just above the Apprentice School at 312.3.
  • The team has finished twice in multiple events this season but will be looking to secure back-to-back National Championships in State College.

Cleary University (Women’s Team)

  • 2015 National All-Academic team member Megan Baumgartner returns for the Cougars.
  • Two-time USCAA Women’s Golfer of the Week, Madison Smith, has four first place finishes this fall and is averaging just under 80 strokes per round, giving her the lowest round average for female golfers in the USCAA.
  • Four of the top six women’s golfers in the USCAA, per stroke average, are from Cleary University.

Kent State University Tuscarawas

  • First year USCAA member Kent State Tuscarawas will make the trip to State College as the 11th ranked team in stroke average per round in the USCAA.  
  • At the Penn State DuBois Invitational this fall, the Golden Eagles placed second with a team score of 328.
  • Freshmen Gage Bosson leads the team in round average with 77.75, followed by Alex Wright at 81.50.

Mid-Atlantic Christian University

  • Matt Cooper, a 2015 USCAA Second-Team All-American, returns and leads the Mid-Atlantic Christian University Mustangs in this years’ tournament. He currently is tied for second in the association with an average round score of 74.
  • Cooper finished in a tie for tenth place at last years’ tournament with round scores of 78 and 79.

NHTI

  • The Lynx of NHTI are led by freshmen, Taylor Post who is averaging just under 85 strokes per round. He has two overall medalist finishes and three top five finishes.
  • Brennen McDougall has three top five finishes this season and averages 89.80 strokes per round.

Paul Smith’s College

  • The Paul Smith’s College Bobcats have two wins under their belt coming into the 2016 USCAA Golf National Championship. Both wins took place at fellow Yankee Conference member NHTI events in the month of October.
  • Senior Sonny Kentile leads the Bobcats in stroke average at 89.67, followed closely by Jared McAllister at 90.

Penn State DuBois

  • Alex Acree leads the Penn State DuBois team in round average at 83.83 strokes.
  • Kristy Hanes, who was the individual medalist at the Mount Aloysuis Invitational, returns from the 2015 team.

Penn State Fayette

  • Jarrod Sutton visits State College, PA with an 87.5 stroke average through six events this fall season.
  • This will be Penn State Fayette’s first appearance at the tournament since restarting their men’s golf program.

Penn State Hazleton

  • The Nittany Lions from Penn State Hazleton place second at the Irem Temple Country Club, their final event before making the trip to State College. Freshmen John Hawley placed fourth individually in the field with a score of 82.
  • The team sits in 14th in the USCAA in average team score and third in the PSUAC.
  • At the 2015 USCAA Golf National Championship, Penn State Hazleton finished 11th overall and third in the PSUAC.  

Penn State Lehigh Valley

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has two players ranked in the top 20 in the association for average round score. Brian Zinman ranks 5th with an average of 74.5 and Nick Engleman ranks 20th with an average of 77.7.
  • Earlier in the year Penn State Lehigh Valley placed third on the Penn State White Course against fellow Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) members.
  • At the 2015 USCAA Golf National Championships the Lions from Lehigh Valley finished 7th, however they’ll enter this year’s tournament without any returning golfers.

Penn State Mont Alto

  • Penn State Mont Alto is led by Tom Shearer who is tied for 2nd in the USCAA in average strokes per round at 74. Austin Green, a 2015 All-American, is also ranked inside the top 20 with a round average of 77.3 strokes.
  • As a team, Mont Alto is third in the USCAA with a team average just over 310 strokes.

Penn State New Kensington

  • Grant Rukat is the only returner from Penn State New Kensington’s 2015 tournament team and is averaging a round score just under 95 this season.
  • Penn State New Kensington is ranked 16th in the association with a team stroke average of 351.2.

Penn State Schuylkill

  • At the Messiah Fall Classic, Joe Dradis and Nate Yost recorded round scores of 91 and 97.
  • Dradis has been Penn State Schuylkill’s top golfer with an average round score of 87.8 coming into this year’s championship.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre

  • Sophomore Jonathan Wilson placed third individually at the 2016 Fall Invitational hosted by Penn State Hazleton. As a team Penn State Wilkes Barre placed second in the event.
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is coming off a 13 stroke win at the Wilkes-Barre Invitational, where they were led by Jeff Carter who shot a round score of 78.  

Rochester College

  • The Rochester College Warriors return their entire 2015 tournament team, excluding second-team All-American Jon Wandel.
  • The Warriors placed fifth last year in State Colege, with the 2016 roster of Andy Birchmeier, Jacob Rogers, Nicklas Grifhorst, and Blake Wohlfeil all placing in the top half of last year’s field.
  • Rochester College is ranked 13th in the USCAA with a cumulative team average of 340.4.

SUNY Delhi

  • The SUNY Delhi Broncos return one of two 2015 All-Americans, senior Ray Schott. Schott placed fourth last year with round scores of 76 and 75 on the Blue Course.  
  • The Broncos finished second at last years’ tournament, seven strokes behind the eventual National Champions of Cleary University.
  • Also returning to this year’s field is 2015 National All-Academic team member, Joseph Burgin.

SUNY Delhi (Women's Team)

  • Alison Agoglia won the individualist medal at the Paul Smith’s Invitational with a round score of 88.  
  • This will be the third straight year that the SUNY Delhi Women’s golf team will be participating in the USCAA Women’s Golf Invitational.

SUNY Canton

  • The 2015 USCAA student-athlete of the year, Nolan Reid, makes his final trip to State College, Pennsylvania this year. Reid has three first place finishes this fall season and currently ranks in the top 15 in the association in stroke average per round.
  • At the Paul Smith’s College Invitational earlier in October, SUNY Canton placed first in the team event. Alex Folts took home the individualist medalist award for the tournament with a 3-over par score of 75.

SUNY Canton (Women's Team)

  • Cecelia Neally leads the SUNY Canton Roos into the Women’s Golf Invitational with a round average just over 90, ranking seventh in the USCAA among females golfers.
  • The first year program has two team victories on the season, the Paul Smith’s Invitational and SUNY Canton Kangaroos Invitational.

SUNY ESF

  • The SUNY ESF Broncos return two student-athletes from the 2015 team, Brian Walsh and Kory Whittum.
  • At the NCCGA Regional tournament, Sean Barron placed first overall in the individual results, with a two round score of 147.  

The King’s College

  • Senior Victoria Li, makes her third trip to State College for the USCAA Golf National Championship.
  • Li has improved her round scores this season, now averaging 90 strokes per round coming into this years’ tournament.

University of Maine Augusta

  • University of Maine Augusta will be represented in the field by returning Second-Team All-American, Lee MacDowell.
  • MacDowell tied for 10th in last years’ field with a two day total of 157.