September 20, 2006

Smith shoots school record 70, Castleton finishes third

Chicopee, MA-Castleton junior Bryan Smith (St. Albans, VT) fired a school-record round of 1-under par 70 to earn medalist honors. Western New England College had four golfers shoot in the mid-70's en route to earning team championship honors in the 11-team Blazers Invitational men's golf tournament at Chicopee Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior E.J. Czajkowski (Burlington, CT), sophomore Mark Waskiewicz (Hadley, MA) and sophomore Steve Rourke (Nashua, NH) all tied for fifth overall with solid rounds of 4-over par 75 to pace the Golden Bears to a team score of 301.

Husson College (306), Castleton State College (315), Brandeis University (319), UMass-Dartmouth (320), Elms College (321), Suffolk University (332), Rhode Island College (335), Becker College (354), Green Mountain College (373) and Mitchell College (408) rounded out the 11-team field.

Elms College junior Neil Daigneault (Ludlow, MA) matched Smith's 1-under 70 to force a playoff. On the first playoff hole, the par-4 1st, Daigneault's tee shot went out of bounds, while Smith put his drive down the center of the fairway.

Smith then dropped a 5-iron from 170 yards out to within six feet of the cup and two-putted for par to earn individual medalist honors in the 54-player field.

Smith carded his record round of 70 with four birdies, after shooting 36 on the front, Smith rallied and carded a 34 to force the playoff with Daigneault who had shot a 33 on the back.

Junior Lance Libby (Oakland, ME) carded a 2-over par 73 to place third overall and junior Adam Duplisea (Hermon, ME) added a 3-over 74 to finish fourth for Husson, which had all five of its players place among the top 16.

Brandeis sophomore Alex Podell (Los Angeles, CA) recorded a 5-over 76 to tie for eighth with WNEC sophomore Mike Roy (Plymouth, MA) and UMass-Dartmouth's Tyler Kett finished with a 77 to finish 10th. [Complete Results]

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