Team Picture

Men's Golf Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Qualify for NCAA National Championships for Fourth Time in Five Years

Gannon, Davis & Elkins finish at 24-over par at Atlantic/East Regional

ERIE, Pa. – As it turns out 54 holes wasn't enough to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional. But as it also turned out, it had to be.
 
With light fading at Whispering Woods Golf Club Gannon and Davis & Elkins finished 54 holes tied for first place at 24-over par 888. The round was delayed by an hour-and-a-half due to frost for the second straight day.
 
A playoff was discussed but after some confusion and a call to the NCAA Davis & Elkins was declared the champion and Gannon the second-place finisher. The deciding factor was the aggregate total of the fifth non-playing golfer, with Davis & Elkins holding the advantage.
 
The good news is the Atlantic/East Regional advances three teams to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. on May 20-24. Both Gannon and Davis & Elkins advance to the National Championships along with Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles held off a charge by St. Thomas Aquinas and Livingstone to finish in third place with a 903 total, 39-over par.
 
Gannon will make its fourth appearance at the National Championships in the last five years. Director of Golf Scott Stano's squad trailed Davis & Elkins by five strokes after the opening 18 holes before posting a tournament-low 289 on Friday to grab a six-stroke lead over the Senators.
 
It was D&E with the hot hand on Saturday with a 294 total while Gannon came in at 300. The Golden Knights made the turn still holding a four-stroke lead but Davis & Elkins entered the final holes with a small advantage.
 
The Senators led by a stroke entering the 54th hole, the par 4, 396-yard ninth hole. Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium) buried a 12-foot birdie putt to knot the match. D&E's Aidan Talent beautiful approach shot and two-putt for par left the two teams tied after 54 holes.
 
Talent finished as the individual champion with a 3-under par 213 total. He edged Seppanen by a stroke. The redshirt sophomore from Sweden fired his second straight 1-under par 71 to finish a stroke back at 214. His round featured four birdies but just one took place on a par-5. Seppanen posted birdies on six of eight par 5's the first two days.
 
Nolan Skaggs of St. Thomas Aquinas finished in third place with an even-par total of 216. It secured one of two spots for individuals from the Atlantic/East Regional for Skaggs. Johnny Solari of Adelphi earned the second individual berth finishing in a tie for fifth at 5-over par 221.
 
Solari was tied for fifth with Gannon's Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena). The junior from Italy shot 1-over par 73 for the third round to also finish at 221.  Like Seppanen, Delorenzi also had four birdies, as did Elijah Ruppert (Fleetwood, Pa./Brandywine Heights). Ruppert's round was marred by three double bogies as he finished with a 77, 5-over par.
 
 
Top Teams (20 teams – top 3 teams advance to National Championships)
T1. Davis & Elkins – 294-300-294 -- 888 (+24)*
T1. GANNON – 299-289-300 -- 888 (+24) 
3. Charleston (WV) – 304-306-293 – 903 (+39)
4. St. Thomas Aquinas – 307-310-291 -- 908 (+44)
5. Livingstone – 303-308-298 -- 909 (+45)
* Davis & Elkins declared champion via tie-breaker
 
Individual Leaders (108 golfers):
1.   Aiden Talent, Davis & Elkins – 68-73-72 -- 213 (-3)
2.  Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium), Gannon – 72-71-71 -- 214 (-2)
3. Nolan Skaggs, St. Thomas Aquinas – 70-76-70 -- 216 (E)
4. Elias Jarn, Davis & Elkins – 74-74-71 – 219 (+3)
T5. Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena), Gannon – 75-73-73 -- 221 (+5)
T5. Johnny Solari, Adelphi – 72-74-75 -- 221 (+5)

Gannon Lineup
2. Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium) – 72-71-71 - 214 (-2)
T5. Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena) – 75-73-73 -- 221 (+5)
T11. Mattia Parrini – 73-72-79 -- 224 (+8)
T28. Elijah Ruppert (Fleetwood, Pa./Brandywine Heights) – 79-73-77 -- 229 (+13)    
 
Michael Wareham – 84-83-DNP -- 167 (+23)
Jacob Wolak (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) – DNP-DNP-83 (+11)
 
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Players Mentioned

Giovanni Delorenzi

Giovanni Delorenzi

6' 1"
Junior
Environmental Health Engineering
Mattia Parrini

Mattia Parrini

Sophomore
Business/Management
Elijah Ruppert

Elijah Ruppert

6' 1"
Senior
Environmental Engineering
Rasmus Seppanen

Rasmus Seppanen

Redshirt Sophomore
Computer Science
Michael Wareham

Michael Wareham

Senior
Business/Engineering
Jacob Wolak

Jacob Wolak

6' 0"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Giovanni Delorenzi

Giovanni Delorenzi

6' 1"
Junior
Environmental Health Engineering
Mattia Parrini

Mattia Parrini

Sophomore
Business/Management
Elijah Ruppert

Elijah Ruppert

6' 1"
Senior
Environmental Engineering
Rasmus Seppanen

Rasmus Seppanen

Redshirt Sophomore
Computer Science
Michael Wareham

Michael Wareham

Senior
Business/Engineering
Jacob Wolak

Jacob Wolak

6' 0"
Sophomore