Niles Leads Saints in Liberty League Qualifier
in
by:
Wally JohnsonGraham Niles finished fourth and earned All Liberty League honors
Sept. 22: Sophomore Graham Niles shot back-to-back rounds of 73 for a four-over-par total of 146 on the par-71 Kingswood Golf Course in Hudson Falls, helping the St. Lawrence University men's golf team lock up a spot in the Liberty League Match Play Championship next spring.
The Saints finished fourth in the two-day Liberty League Qualifying Tournament hosted by Skidmore. The top four teams in the qualifier advance to the spring match play event with the winner of that tournament earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Skidmore beat Rensselaer in a one-hole five-man playoff for the right to host the match play round as both teams finished with 588 totals. Rochester was third with a 603 total while the Saints had a four-man best of 611, five in front of fifth place NYU. Clarkson was sixth and Hobart seventh to round out the field.
Niles, playing his first season of intercollegiate golf for the Saints, earned first-team All Liberty League honors with a third place finish. Anthony DiLisio of Skidmore was medalist with a one-over total of 143 while Nick Palladino of Rochester was second at 145.
Saint senior John Harris, playing as an individual, and sophomore Jack Whelan earned second-team all conference honors with their top ten finishes in the tournament. Harris was eighth, shooting a one-over 72 on Sunday after opening with a 77 for a 149 total while Whelan, who shot 77-73 for a 150 total, tied for ninth. Senior Jeff Duggan, also playing as an individual and not counting in the team scoring shot back to back rounds of 79 for a 158 total, a tie for 30th overall, Brandon Lustig shot 78-81-159 to finish tied for 33rd and Brady Garrett and Jack Reardon tied for 35th with 160 totals Garrett going 80-80 and Reardon 76-84.
Reardon joined Niles, Whelan and Lustig to help the Saints to their 304 total on Saturday which was fourth behind RPI's 290, a 295 from Skidmore and a 301 by Rochester. Garrett, Lustig, Whelan and Niles posted the counting scores in Sunday's team round for a 307.
The Saints have an open weekend and then will play in the ECAC Championship in Rochester Oct. 6-7.