May 15, 2012

Men's Golf Travels To NCAA East Regional In North Carolina Starting On Thursday

COMPETITION: Mount St. Mary's at NCAA East Regional
WHEN: Thu-Sat, May 17-19, 2012
TIMES: May 17 (8 a.m.); May 19 (8 a.m.); May 20 (7:30 a.m.)
WHERE: Grandover Resort and Conference Center, Greensboro, N.C.

MOUNT PARTICIPANTS: Tonny Aizpun, Kevin Ellison, Danny Michalek, Devin O'Grady, Ryan Triller
COMPETING TEAMS: Auburn, UNLV, Florida, Duke, Indiana, Liberty, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Lamar, Loiusiana-Lafayette, Charlotte, George Washington, Mount St. Mary's

opening tee... The Mount St. Mary's men's golf team will be making its first appearance in the NCAA East Regional starting on Thursday. The Mount will be competing with Auburn, UNLV, Florida, Duke, Indiana, Liberty, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Lamar, Loiusiana-Lafayette, Charlotte and George Washington at the three-day event. Tee times are set for 8 a.m. on the first two days and 7:30 a.m. in the final round.

the regional is live... The NCAA East Regional will have live updates at www.golfstat.com. Scores will be announced and after every three holes.

familiar faces… The Mount will be joined in the NCAA East Regional by another team in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. George Washington will also be competing in the regional. In addition, Sacred Heart's Leo Garcia, who won the Northeast Conference individual title, will also be participating in the regional as an individual.

north carolina, a second home in the ncaa championships… A Mount St. Mary's team will be headed to North Carolina for an NCAA appearance for third time in the schools last four trips. During the 2008 season, the men's basketball team played in Greensboro, N.C., and the Mount baseball team was in Cary, N.C., for its NCAA appearance that season. The Mount men's lacrosse team went to Virginia in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

last time out... The Mount St. Mary's men's golf team won its first NEC Championship on May 6. The Mount had four players finish in the Top-7 for the first time in program history on its way to its first league title. The Mount came into the final round nine strokes ahead of Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart. The Mount had two players card a one-over score of 73 and two players post a five-over day of 77 to card a 300 as a team on the afternoon. The Knights finished the final round with a 309 and the Pioneers registered a 310 to help the Mountaineers win the title by 18 strokes. Kevin Ellison was the Mount's top golfer after finishing the three-day event with a score of 222 and in third place. The sophomore came into the final round one stroke behind Sacred Heart's Leo Garcia and took the lead after three holes on Sunday. Ellison was even on the first three holes while Garcia bogeyed the first and third holes. Ellison then double bogeyed the fourth and bogeyed the seventh, 10th and 17th to finish with a 77 on the day and 222 in the event, and three strokes behind the medalist Garcia. The third-place finish was the first Top-5 standing by a Mount St. Mary's golfer since Nick Montemarano was fourth in the 1998 NEC Championships. Devin O'Grady finished two strokes behind Ellison in fifth place with a three-day score of 224. The sophomore posted a birdie on the sixth and 16th holes while bogeying the ninth and double bogeying the 14th to finish with a one-over round of 73 in the final round. It marks the second-straight year O'Grady finished in the Top-10 at the NEC Championships after placing ninth in last year's championships. O'Grady becomes the fifth Mount golfer to finish in the Top-10 twice in his career and the first since current head coach Kevin Farrell finished in the Top-10 in 2007 and 2008. Tonny Aizpun also posted a 73 on the afternoon to record a three-round score of 226 and finish in sixth place. In the final round, Aizpun posted a two-under first nine holes with a bogey on the first hole and birdies on four, six and nine and then bogeyed 11, 12 and 15 for his one-over day. Danny Michalek rounded the Mount's Top-7 finishers with a three-round score of 228 and in seventh place. The senior registered a birdie on the fifth hole while posting bogeys on three, six, seven, nine, 12 and 14 for his five over round. Ellison, O'Grady, Aizpun and Michalek each posted Top-10 marks in program history at the league championships and were named to the All-Tournament team. Farrell was named the NEC Coach of the Year. Ryan Triller finished 41st in the tournament with a score of 242. Mount St. Mary's went wire-to-wire on its way to its first NEC Championship title. The Mount posted three of the program's Top-10 scores at the NEC Championships after carding a 297 in the first round, a 303 in the second round and a 300 for a three-round score of 900. The score of 900 was the second-best in program history in the NEC Championships.

coach of the year… Third-year head coach Kevin Farrell was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year after guiding his alma mater to the program's first NEC Championship on May 6. Farrell is the first person in league history to be an All-Conference selection as a player and Coach of the Year. Farrell earned All-NEC honors in 2007 and 2008.

all-conference selections… Sophomores Devin O'Grady and Kevin Ellison were honored by the Northeast Conference on Tuesday. O'Grady was named to the All-NEC first team while Ellison was tabbed to the second team. It was the Mount's first all-conference selection since current head coach Kevin Farrell was named to the All-NEC team in 2007 and 2008 and it was also the fourth time the Mount had two players selected to all-conference.

all-tournament team… Sophomores Kevin Ellison, Devin O'Grady and Tonny Aizpun and senior Danny Michalek were named to the Northeast Conference All-Tournament team after finishing in the Top-7 at the NEC Championships. It marked the second year in a row that O'Grady has earned All-Tournament recognition after finishing ninth as a freshman. It also marked the first time in program history the Mountaineers had more than two golfers in the Top-10. The Mount had two players in the Top-10 in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1998.

ellison no invisible golfer… Sophomore Kevin Ellison, who finished third at the NEC Championships, is averaging 76.6 strokes per round this season. The sophomore won the ECAC Championship on Oct. 1 for his other top-5 finish this season.

grade a o'grady… Sophomore Devin O'Grady placed fifth at the league championship to become the fifth golfer in program history to finish in the top-10 in two seasons after finishing ninth at the NEC Championships as a freshman. O'Grady leads the team with a 75.5 strokes per round average and also finished third in the ECAC Championships and fourth at the Rehoboth Beach Invitational on Sept. 26.

the spanish par-quistion… Sophomore Tonny Aizpun is third on the squad with a 76.0 strokes per round average and posted ninth-place finishes at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport Colonial Classic on Oct. 12 and at the Mount St. Mary's Spring Invitational on Apr. 17.

oh danny boy… Senior Danny Michalek, the lone senior on the team, is second on the team with a 75.8 strokes per round average and a team-best four top-10 finishes. The senior also finished third at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport Colonial Classic and at the Mount St. Mary's Spring Invitational while placing eighth at the ECAC Championships.

triller the thriller… Freshman Ryan Triller finished second at the Mount St. Mary's Spring Invitational and fourth at the ECAC Championships while averaging 76.7 strokes per round this season.

triller honored… Ryan Triller was named the Northeast Conference Men's Co-Golfer of the Week for the week of Apr. 11-17. Triller finished second at the Mount St. Mary's Spring Invitational on Tuesday. The freshman posted a pair of 72's on the first day of the competition and then carded a 76 in the final round to record a three-round total of 220. Triller finished two strokes behind the medalist in second place. The Mount finished the event third as a team.

twice as nice… Mount St. Mary's won a pair of tournaments this season. The Mount won the ECAC Championships in October after placing second in the event last season. It was the Mount's first team title since winning the Mount St. Mary's Fall Invitational in 2007. Sophomore Kevin Ellison also became the first medalist in an event since Andrew Hill in 2003. The squad then captured its first Northeast Conference Championship on May. 6.

new to the mountain... Freshman Ryan Triller joins the team for the 2011-12 season. The freshman made his collegiate debut at the Turning Stone Intercollegiate.

about the coach… Farrell, who is in his third season as the men's golf head coach and first as the women's golf head coach, guided the Mount men's golf team to its first NEC Championship in 2012 after the squad won the event by 18 strokes. The Mount also won the ECAC Championships this year. Farrell was a standout golfer on the Mountaineers men's golf team from 2004-08. He finished in the Top-10 at the NEC Championships in both his junior and senior seasons to earn spots on the All-NEC team. Farrell is one of five players in team history to earn finish in the Top-10 at the NEC Championships twice in his career and his three-round score of 220 at the 2008 NEC Championships is still the record for three rounds at the NEC Championships.