Golf Opens Spring Season Last Weekend as Ravens Begin Quest for Berth in NCAA Tournament
B.J. Powers and Ian Landry tie for 20th in spring opener
RINDGE, N.H. (March 28, 2012) -- The Franklin Pierce University golf team put together one impressive fall season back in September and October. The Ravens finish to the fall season has put them in contention for an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Division II Tournament, which will be held in May. To reach the national tournament, Franklin Pierce will have to string together an equally impressive spring season, which began this past weekend at the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational at Rum Point Golf Course in Berlin, Md. Teeing off against some of the top teams in the East region, the Ravens finished eighth out of 14 after shooting a two-round score of 623 (+47).
Dowling won the tournament with a 603 (+27), while host-school St. Thomas Aquinas followed in second with a 605 (+29). Northeast-10 Conference members, American International and Pace, finished in a tie for third at 613 (+37). UMass-Lowell rounded out the top five in fifth place with a 38-over-par, 614.
Franklin Pierce finished ahead of three NE-10 teams in the standings, including Adelphi (T-9th), Southern New Hampshire (11th) and Le Moyne (12th).
The solid showing in the spring opener came on the heels of the team practicing together down in Myrtle Beach, S.C. during spring break week.
Senior co-captain B.J. Powers (Southbury, Conn.) and junior Ian Landry (Loudon, N.H.) were the highest Raven finishers in the tournament as both tied for 20th with a two-round total of 155 (+11). Both Powers and Landry produced a six-over-par, 78, in the opening round on Saturday, but responded by shaving off a stroke during the final 18 and producing a pair of 77s (+5).
Powers and Landry are coming off impressive individual fall seasons as both earned All-Northeast-10 Conference honors by finishing in the top-10 of the individual standings at the league championship back in October.
Freshman C.J. Konkowski (Keene, N.H.) tied for 30th at the STAC Invite by firing a 157 (+14) during the two rounds. He struggled through the first round with an eight-over-par, 80, but regrouped to shoot a five-over, 77, on Sunday in the final round.
Senior co-captain Brian Fleckles (Sandwich, Mass.) and sophomore Adam Spencer (Jericho, Vt.) tied for 40th with scores of 160 (+16). Fleckles got off to a fine start in the opening round by carding a 77, but slipped in the final round with an 83 (+11). Spencer was the reverse. After shooting a nine-over, 81, on Saturday, Spencer rallied with a respectable 79 (+7) over the final 18 holes on Sunday.
Franklin Pierce returns to action on April 14-15 when the Ravens compete in the River Hawk Invitational at Meadow Creek Golf Course in Dracut, Mass.
For more information on Franklin Pierce golf, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens).