Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - For the third year in a row the Wilmington University golf team has been rewarded the highest individual honor during the regular season, as freshman Ryan Rucinski was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player and Rookie of the Year, leading a team of seven players that earned All-CACC.
Rucinski (Wilmington, Del./Salesianum) becomes the first golfer to earn both the CACC Player and Rookie of the year awards in the same season, joining Dan Ott (twice), Jerry Temple Jr., and teammate Andreas Lunding as Wilmington golfers to earn CACC Player of the Year honors. Former All-American PJ Tighe was named the CACC Rookie of the Year during his career, as was Lunding during his freshman campaign.
Rucinski is joined on the All-CACC team by teammates Sam Clark, Jordan Lamb, Lunding, Troy Miller, Joey Russo, and Miguel Sierkce. Concordia's Mos Bangpetch and Juan Roa, as well as Chestnut Hill's Sam Riemer fill out the rest of the All-CACC team, as picked by the individual's GolfStat.com ranking.
Concordia's head coach Nicholas Osso was named the 2016 BSN CACC Men's Golf Coach of the Year, as picked by the conference's sports information directors.
The talented freshman is ranked second in the East Region, appearing in nine tournaments his season and averaged a score of 74.64 over 22 rounds played. His lowest round of the season was a two-under par, 69, during the second round of the Buccaneer Invitational.
He finished among the top-20 individuals in five tournaments, including a win in a playoff at the Coach Carpenter Classic, March 28-29, at the Crofton Country Club in Crofton, Md. Rucinski carded rounds of 74-74-76 for a three-round total of 224 (+8) on the par 72 course. He finished in a tie for first with teammate Joey Russo after 54 holes (3 rounds) and eventually won on the second playoff hole to earn his first collegiate individual title.
Lunding is the fourth ranked player in the East Region, competing in seven tournaments this year and averaging a score of 74.47 in 17 rounds played. His low round score of two-under par, 69, also came in the second round of the Buccaneer Invitational.
Siercke is the sixth ranked player in the East Region, competing in seven tournaments this year and averaging a score of 75.44 in 16 rounds played. His low round score of four-under par, 67, came in the first round of the Buccaneer Invitational.
Russo, last season's CACC Rookie of the Year, is the ninth ranked player in the East Region, competing in nine tournaments this year and averaging a score of 75.14 in 22 rounds. He had a low round score of one-under par, 71, in the third round at the Dennis Rose Invitational.
Clark is the 12th ranked player in the East Region, competing in nine tournaments this year and averaging a score of 75.50 in 22 rounds played. His low round score of three-under par, 69, came in the first round of the Dennis Rose Invitational.
Miller is the 18th ranked player in the East Region, competing in seven tournaments this season and averaging a score of 76.39 in 18 rounds played. His low round score of one-under par, 71, came in the first round of the Dennis Rose Invitational.
Lamb is the 19th ranked player in the East Region, competing in six tournaments this season and averaging a score of 76.40 in 15 rounds played. His low round score of two-under par, 70, came in the second round of the Dennis Rose Invitational.
The Wildcats head into the postseason next week as the second ranked team in the East Region. The postseason starts with the CACC Championship on Tuesday, hosted by the Wildcats at Back Creek Golf Course in Middletown, Delaware. The Wildcats are looking for an unprecedented sixth consecutive CACC Championship.