Wildcat Golfers Close out 2018-19 Regular Season with Fourth Place Finish at Crofton Invitational

Copyright 2018; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo by Keara McCarthy. October 1, 2018 at CACC Championship, Round 2. Deerfield Golf Club.
Copyright 2018; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo by Keara McCarthy. October 1, 2018 at CACC Championship, Round 2. Deerfield Golf Club.

CROFTON, Md. - - The Wilmington University golf team completed its 2018-19 regular season with a fourth place finish at the Crofton Invitational on Tuesday, playing the third and final round of the two-day tournament at the Crofton Country Club, hosted by California (Pa.).

The Wildcats posted rounds of 310 and 204 on Monday before coming back with a 301 on Tuesday in the final round. They scored a 915 (+51) to finish fourth out of nine teams at the tournament. Bentley won the tournament with an 892 (+28).

Ryan Rucinski and Enrique Valverde led Wilmington by finishing in a tie for fourth overall with identical scores of 223 (+7). They each got to that score in different ways though, as Rucinski shot rounds of 76-72-75 while Valverde went 77-74-72 for his 223.

Arvy Shongwe moved up three spots into a tie for 20th on Tuesday wit a third round score of 76. He improved every round of the tournament, finishing with a 79-78-76 for a 233 (+17). Jack Dixon was the fourth scorer for the Wildcats on Tuesday, moving up four spots with a 78 in the third round. He finished in a tie for 27th overall with a scoresheet of 78-81-78 for a 237 (+21).

Braden McKay finished tied for 36th overall in the tournament, shooting rounds of 81-80-79 for a 240 (+24). Matthew Kettleson played as an individual in the tournament and finished in 38th overall, posting scores of 79-80-82 for a 241 (+25).

Indiana (Pa.)'s Matt Cocorikis led the tournament after day one and finished on top on Tuesday with a third round 69. He beat the field by two strokes, finishing with a 75-70-69 for a 214 (-2). Bentley's Tommy Ethier shot 77-70-69 for a 216 (E) for second place.

The Wildcats will learn their fate on Friday, April 26 when the NCAA will announce the participants for the 2019 NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Super Regional Tournament on the NCAA website around 6:00 p.m. They went ranked 10th in the East in the latest NCAA Division II Regional Rankings.