By Staff Writer Greg Estabrooks.
UMass Dartmouth senior Tom Sheran won the Great Northeast Atlantic Conference Championship in commanding fashion over the weekend by carding a two-day total of 145, topping runner-up Claudio Soukamneuth of Johnson & Wales by seven strokes.
Sheran fired an even par round of 72 on Saturday at Blackstone National Golf Club in Sutton, MA, and then closed out the tournament with a one-over par 73 on Sunday. The senior putted well over the weekend and distanced himself from the field by carding 9 birdies. He also took advantage of the par 5s, playing them in 3-under overall.
This is the second time in Sheran’s career that he has earned the title of GNAC Player of the Year.
He previously claimed the honor as a freshman at Rhode Island College in 2015 at Allendale Country Club, located right down the street in Dartmouth.
Sheran’s outstanding performance helped UMass Dartmouth secure a runner-up finish at the GNAC Championship this year. Johnson & Wales would go on to top the leaderboard by posting a team total of 619 for the two days. This is the second straight season they have took home team honors at the championship.
The Corsairs finished 13 strokes behind Johnson & Wales by posting a team total of 632 for the tournament. They topped third place finisher University of Southern Maine by 11 strokes.
Freshman Jack Macdonald finished tied for 12th in the individual standings by carding a two-day total of 162, while senior Captain Jackson Mitchell finished just behind him in a tie for 14th by posting a 163.
Freshman Curtis Merritt and junior Nick Avilla rounded out the Corsairs scoring with a 165 and a 175 respectively, good enough to earn them 21st and 31st place finishes in the field of 45 golfers, representing 9 different schools from around New England.
This is the 3rd time that UMass Dartmouth has finished runner up at the GNAC Championship in the past 12 years. The Corsairs did win the conference championship in 2010 and also have six third place finishes under current coach Head Coach Joel Baptista.
UMass Dartmouth golf has had a successful season so far, as they were coming off another strong finish from the previous weekend at the Southern Maine Fall Classic in Gorham, Maine, where they finished in 2nd place in a field of eight.
The Corsairs will seek to end their season on a high note when they head to the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championship this weekend on October 21st and 22nd at the Captains Course in Brewster, MA.
Teams from over 30 DII and DIII colleges and universities will compete in this prestigious tournament, now in its 84th running. The Corsairs have won the tournament one time, in 2012.
This will be the last NEIGA Championship for seniors Tom Sheran and Jackson Mitchell, as they are each heading down the final stretch of what have been exceptional college golf careers.
Hopefully they can bring home some hardware this weekend for UMass Dartmouth.
PHOTO COURTESY: CORSAIR ATHLETICS