NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – It is a sign of how far the Rosemont golf program has come in a year that John Manos’ voice was twingedf with a little bit of disappointment.
Last year, when the Ravens were participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in North Carolina, there was a sense of enjoying the experience.
This year, that sense of awe was gone. But the fact that the Ravens were heading home after missing the cut on Wednesday with a tie for 32nd place at the NCAA Division III National Championships at Keene Trace Golf Club just outside of Lexington, Ky. was a bit of a bummer because there was such high expectations that the Ravens had place on itself.
“We played a big boy golf course and we felt we had an opportunity to do really well here,” Manos said. “But this course has PGA events on it for a reason and it showed why. It was a tough course and we didn’t play as well as we would have liked.”
Rosemont finished at +62 as a team- tying with York College for 32nd place. The top 18 were advancing to the final 36 holes on Thursday and Friday.
On the individual side, the Ravens didn’t get an qualifier into the weekend. The players on the Top 18 and the next 6 lowest scores of those who didn’t make the cut are allowed to play the final 36 holes. Last year, Michael Lange made the final 36 holes en route to a Top 10 individual finish.
Lange- who was a four-time individual medalist this season- shot a 80 on Wednesday to finish at +12 for the tournament. The Ravens top individual was Stephen Vye, who posted a six over 78 on Wednesday to finish at +9 for the tournament to finish four shots off the cutline for the individual tournament. Vye and Jordan Cook tied for the best Ravens score on the day. Cook fired a 78 with an even-par back nine that featured three birdies and three bogeys. Cook finished the tournament at +21.
Paul Fedele finished the tournament at +22 while Hunter Mickatavage posted a +28.
Overall, the Ravens had a great season- two tournament titles, four individual crowns, some national trips and a second straight CSAC title. Vye and Mickatavage were also named this week to the Division III Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars list.
“I look at this team and we had a great group of guys,” Manos said. “We had a good time and we played some really good golf.”
And in that, the disappointment lifted in Manos’ voice.
“And they are all coming back with a few other guys coming in,” he said. “It’s really exciting.”
