Fleckles cards five-over-par 77 to lead Ravens and place eighth overall

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 16, 2009) - The Franklin Pierce University golf team turned in a fifth place finish at the Western New England College Invitational on the 6,422-yard, par 72, layout at Veterans Memorial Golf Course this afternoon.

Franklin Pierce posted a 325 team score, just four strokes behind fourth-place Babson College and a stroke ahead of sixth-place University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Nichols College won the team title with a score of 308, topping second-place Salem State College (310) by a mere two strokes. Tufts University (316) took third behind sophomore Dan Moll (Newton, Mass./Newton North) who earned medalist honors with an even-par round of 72. He edged Nichols junior Pat Pio (Somers, Conn./Wilbraham-Monson Academy) who finished with 73.

Freshman Brian Fleckles (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) again led Franklin Pierce as he carded a five-over-par round of 77 to finish tied for eighth overall. Senior Josh Lupinek (East Haddam, Conn./Nathan Hale-Ray) and junior Brandon Weiner (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) each posted rounds of 81 for the Ravens to tie for 17^th overall.

Franklin Pierce returns to the links on Monday and Tuesday when it participates in the American International College/NE-10 Invitational at Springfield Country Club.