Farmingdale, N.Y. - After winning the Skyline Conference Championship in the Fall of 2006, the Farmingdale State men's golf team is set to begin the NCAA Tournament. The 2007 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships will be held May 15-18, 2007 at Prairie View Golf Club & Hawthorns Golf & Country Club. Thirty-five teams and five individuals from across the country will compete for a national championship.

The Rams will be led by the Skyline Individual Champion, junior Kyle Havas (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst), who led his team to their first-ever Conference Championship with a two-day score of 154 at the Bethpage State Park's Red Course. He became the second Farmingdale player to win the individual title in as many years.

Senior Ryan Williams (Westbury, N.Y./Clarke) finished 5th individually at the Skyline Championships with a 161. He tied the school record in the fall when he shot a 1-under par 70 at St. George's Country Club. Williams is also a SUNY Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete award winner this year, a Management Technology major who will graduate this Sunday, May 20th with a 3.70 GPA.

Sophomore Andrew Schwartz (Commack, N.Y./Commack) has been playing well this Spring. After finishing 16th at the Skyline Championship, Schwartz led the team with a fourth place finish on April 20th in the Farmingdale Invitational, where he posted rounds of 75 and 77, helping his team to a second place finish overall.

Also representing Farmingdale at the Tournament will be sophomore Tim Pellegrino (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh), the third place individual finisher at the Skyline Championships with a 159, sophomore Alec Salvitti (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford), who tied for 10th place in the Championship, and freshman Larry Hipp (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage).

To keep track of the Rams at the Championship, visit the host website at http://hccvb.org, or the NCAA page for up-to-date results as they become available.


Rams Finish 31st at NCAA's
May 16, 2007

FISHERS, Ind. - The Farmingdale State men's golf team finished day two of the Division III NCAA Golf Championships in 31st place, missing the cut for the second half of the Tournament. Sophomore Andrew Schwartz (Commack, N.Y./Commack) shot a two-day 166 to finish highest on the team, followed by junior Kyle Havas (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) with a 170, senior Ryan Williams (Westbury, N.Y./Clarke) with a 173, sophomore Alec Salvitti (Medford, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) with a 176 and sophomore Tim Pellegrino (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) with a 179.

St. John's University (MN) shot a team total of 300 for the second consecutive day to take an 11-shot lead after two days.

First-round leader Rhodes College followed its 299 at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club on Tuesday with a 316 at Prairie View on Wednesday and is in third place with a two-day total of 615. Sandwiched between the pair is Ohio Wesleyan, which had rounds of 302-309 611.

Other top 10 teams include LaVerne (305-311 616), Emory (305-313 618), Guilford (307-311 618), Huntingdon (307-314 621), Oglethorpe (303-319 622), Transylvania (308-316 624), Central (314-312 626), Carthage (314-312 626) and defending national champion Nebraska Wesleyan (312-314 626).

The field was cut to 23 teams after Wednesday's round with nine-time champion Methodist being eliminated by Salem State in a playoff 18-19 for the final spot. The four-day tournament will continue with Round 3 on Thursday at Hawthorns Golf and Country Club. The top five individuals not on a team surviving the cut also advanced to the final two rounds.

Individually, Clinton Dammann of St. John's is the leader with a two-day total of 72-71 143. Teammate Andrew Longbella is right behind Dammann with a two-day total of 74-73 147. Jacob Collinsworth of Huntingdon and first-round leader Rode McElreath of McMurry are also tied for second at four strokes off the pace also with a total of 74-73 147.

Other top 10 individuals are Andy Miller of Otterbein (74-74 148), Bradley Sutherland of Transylvania (74-74 148), Joel Winters of Central (74-74 148), Chris Davis of LaVerne (75-74 149), Nathaniel James of Washington and Lee (75-75 150) and Joseph Poplin of Guilford (77-73 150). Five other players are one stroke out of the top 10.

The five advancing individuals were Miller, James, Bob Boykin of Hampden-Sydney (77-74 151), Chris Dale of Maryville (79-76 155) and Riley Power of Wesley.

The Championship is being hosted by Anderson University and the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.