Railsplitters Finish 18th At NCAA Men's Golf Super Regional
May 5, 2010
WILSON, NC - Playing in their first NCAA post-season tournament in the history of the Lincoln Memorial University men's golf program, the Railsplitters finished 18th among the field of 20 teams that qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional Golf Tournament held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Wilson, North Carolina.
The Railsplitters earned their first trip to NCAA post-season play as a team by winning this year's South Atlantic Conference Tournament. The victory at Etowah Valley County Club two weeks ago, gave the Railsplitters the league's automatic bid while snapping SAC opponent Newberry College's two-year run as conference tournament champions.
The Sunshine State Conference dominated this year's tournament, taking the top-4 spots. Barry University took top honors by turning in a team score of 845 which edged league opponent Lynn University who finished with a team total of 846. Florida Southern (854) and Nova Southeastern (858) finished in third and fourth place respectively while Queen's University of Charlotte rounded out the top-5 with 859.
LMU's effort was carried by South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year Eric Kennedy (Powell, TN). The sophomore finished the three-day event with a combined score of 219, which was six strokes over par and 14 strokes off the lead to tie for 43rd place.
Railsplitter senior Josh Collins (Luttrell, TN) played from the five position but finished second highest among the Railsplitters in the tournament. Collins put together a three-day score of 222 to finish tied for 60th place. Teammate Jamie Chapman (Sussex, England) struggled somewhat the first day with a 79 however, shot back-to-back 73's the final two rounds to turn in a combined score of 225 to tie for 76th place.
LMU's Cory Bartlett (Shanty Bay, Ontario, Canada) (230) and Joshua Cornett (Mountain City, TN) (231) tied for 91st and 96th place by the end of the event.
Others finishing inside the top-10 were Lander University (866) in sixth, St. Leo University (867) in seventh, the University of West Florida (870) who tied for eighth with Belmont Abbey College, while Columbus State University and Rollins College tied for tenth.
The back half of the field went as follows; Georgia College & State University and Barton College each shot a team score of 874 finish twelfth, South Atlantic Conference opponent Newberry College (877) placed fourteenth, the University of North Alabama (878) finished fifteenth, Flager College (881) was sixteenth, Armstrong Atlantic University (888) was seventeenth, then LMU (890) and Valdosta State University (894) and Arkansas Tech University (916) finished ninteenth and twentieth repectively.
The Railsplitters end the 2010 season with their most successful campaign in school history, having finished first in six tournaments this season including their first ever South Atlantic Conference Tournament title. The LMU men lose only senior Josh Collins from this year's squad and should be a heavy favorite to again compete for the 2011 SAC championship.
NCAA Southeast/South Super Regional
Wilson, NC
Wilson Country Club
Dates: 5/3-5/5, 2010
Par 71, 6839 yards
NCAA Southeast/South Super Regional
Wilson, NC
Wilson Country Club
Dates: 5/3-5/5, 2010
Par 71, 6839 yards
Fin. Team Scores Total Par
18 Lincoln Memorial............... 302 289 299 890 +38
Fin. Player Team Scores Total Par
t 43 Eric Kennedy............. Lincoln Memorial............... 71 72 76 219 +6
t 60 Josh Collins............... Lincoln Memorial............... 74 73 75 222 +9
t 76 Jamie Chapman....... Lincoln Memorial............... 79 73 73 225 +12
t 91 Cory Bartlett.............. Lincoln Memorial............... 78 77 75 230 +17
t 96 Joshua Cornett......... Lincoln Memorial............... 83 71 77 231 +18
