Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. File photo of Joey Russo during the CACC Championship, taken by Erin Harvey.
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University golf team was one of 12 teams to completely finish its first round at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Super Regional on Monday, shooting a 310 (+22) at the Timber Banks Country Club.
With eight teams still on the course needing to finish the first round first thing Tuesday morning, the Wildcats are currently ninth overall. St. Thomas Aquinas shot the lowest round of the day among the finished teams, coming in with a 306 (+18) to lead the way.
Sophomore Joey Russo paced the Wildcats on Monday, shooting a 35 (-1) on the back-nine to finish with a 73 (+1) after 18 holes. Russo birdied the sixth hole on the front nine, but finished the first half with a bogey on nine. He then birdied 12 before giving a stroke back on 13, but finished strong with a birdie on 15 and three straight pars to close out the round. He is third among finishing competitors.
Senior Andreas Lunding shot a clean back nine, hitting a birdie on 13 to finish with a 35 (-1). His only hiccup came on the ninth hole, where he shot a triple bogey, before the back nine allowed him to shoot a 75 (+3) on the day. After bogeying the first hole, the senior birdied the fourth before giving up four strokes on the final two holes of the front. He is tied for ninth among finishing competitors.
Junior Miguel Siercke started red hot, hitting birdies shots on the first two holes. He was still two under par through four holes before a bogey on five, a bogey on seven, and a triple bogey on nine put him at three-over through nine. Siercke again tripled the 10th hole before hitting a birdie on 11. He got as low as five-over on the back nine before a double bogey on 17 put him with a 79 (+7) for the day.
Junior Sam Clark rounded out the Wildcats scoring on Monday with an 83 (+11), struggling on the front nine. After starting with a birdie on the first hole, Clark doubled on two and another bogey on four. Clark hit another birdie on five but followed that up with a four-over on six before finishing the front with a triple on nine. The back nine was much nicer to Clark, as he shot a 39 (+3) to finish out his round.
Freshman Ryan Rucinski also had a smoother path on the back nine, but couldn't overcome a slow start on the front to figure in the scoring. Rucinski found himself eight-over par after two holes, and didn't get a positive score until a birdie on six. Another bogey closed out the front with a 49 (+13). He started the back with four straight pars before going bogey, birdie, par, bogey, and birdie to finish the back with a 36, even-par score. He shot an 85 (+13) for the round.
The leaders in clubhouse among the finishing competitors are Le Moyne's John Clare and St. Thomas Aquinas's Brendan Hunter with an even par, 72.
The Wildcats are scheduled to tee off at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, but could be pushed back to accommodate the end of the first round.