MGOLF: Nogay takes seventh at MU Invite
Joe Hansbrough
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: Sports
What started as another rough outing for the men's golf team turned into a solid seventh place finish at the Monmouth Invitational this past weekend. Freshman Justin Nogay once again led the Mountaineers by placing seventh after shooting a two-round total of 149, only 10 shots behind the tournament winner, Sacred Heart University's Pat Fillian (139).
Saturday the Mount started out rough, just as they have all spring, wrapping up the day with a team score of 328. But assistant coach Kevin Farrell says that after holding a good team meeting Saturday night, individual goals were set and the results were clear the next day.
"Kids improved on an individual level which helped us to improve a great deal on Sunday," Farrell said in a phone interview. The team improved by 28 strokes, finishing with a score of 295, one of their best rounds this season.
In addition to Nogay's solid performance, senior Brad Gerick shot a team tournament- and season-best 71 in the second round, and climbed from 55th to a tie for 32nd by scoring 158.
"[Gerick] focused, came back, and forgot about Saturday," said Farrell, a sentiment likely shared by the entire team. This includes freshman Steve Crain, who finished 26th with 157, junior Tim Evelius, who placed 35th with 159, and freshman Brandon Powers, finishing 37th with a 161.
Evelius posted a 79 in the second round to go along with an even par 72 by Nogay and a pair of 76's by Crain and Powers.
Powers' Sunday score was nine shots better than round one and included an eagle on the par 4, 13th when he holed a 70-yard bunker shot.
Gerick's 16-shot turnaround from Saturday marks the biggest one-day improvement in school history and included four birdies.
In addition to having the number one player, Sacred Heart also won the tournament with a team score of 590, one stroke ahead of Lafayette College (591). Bucknell (602), Fairleigh Dickinson (608), and Monmouth (609) rounded out the top five in the twelve-team field.
The Mount returns to the greens this Saturday at the Lafayette Invitational. In terms of keeping their momentum up, Farrell is confident in the team.
"We need to focus on individual goals this week ... There's no reason that we can't repeat [Sunday's] performance."
Saturday the Mount started out rough, just as they have all spring, wrapping up the day with a team score of 328. But assistant coach Kevin Farrell says that after holding a good team meeting Saturday night, individual goals were set and the results were clear the next day.
"Kids improved on an individual level which helped us to improve a great deal on Sunday," Farrell said in a phone interview. The team improved by 28 strokes, finishing with a score of 295, one of their best rounds this season.
In addition to Nogay's solid performance, senior Brad Gerick shot a team tournament- and season-best 71 in the second round, and climbed from 55th to a tie for 32nd by scoring 158.
"[Gerick] focused, came back, and forgot about Saturday," said Farrell, a sentiment likely shared by the entire team. This includes freshman Steve Crain, who finished 26th with 157, junior Tim Evelius, who placed 35th with 159, and freshman Brandon Powers, finishing 37th with a 161.
Evelius posted a 79 in the second round to go along with an even par 72 by Nogay and a pair of 76's by Crain and Powers.
Powers' Sunday score was nine shots better than round one and included an eagle on the par 4, 13th when he holed a 70-yard bunker shot.
Gerick's 16-shot turnaround from Saturday marks the biggest one-day improvement in school history and included four birdies.
In addition to having the number one player, Sacred Heart also won the tournament with a team score of 590, one stroke ahead of Lafayette College (591). Bucknell (602), Fairleigh Dickinson (608), and Monmouth (609) rounded out the top five in the twelve-team field.
The Mount returns to the greens this Saturday at the Lafayette Invitational. In terms of keeping their momentum up, Farrell is confident in the team.
"We need to focus on individual goals this week ... There's no reason that we can't repeat [Sunday's] performance."
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