Congratulations to the Roadrunner Men`s and Women's teams, who performed well in this past week's NJCAA Division III National Golf Championships in Chautauqua, NY.
The Roadrunner Women finished as National runnerup while the Roadrunner Men placed ninth overall in a tough, crowded field.
Just last season, the Roadrunner Golf program sent two golfers --Freddie Ramos and alternate Cole Bruner -- to compete in the NJCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships at Chautauqua, marking the first time in decades that RCSJ golfers competed in national competition.
The Runners then turned a corner in 2023 and qualified full rosters for the National tournament from both their men's and women's teams.
The Roadrunner Women, sparked by sophomore Skylar Amoroso and freshman Nancy Davidson. placed second overall to Oxford-Emory College in the team race.
Amoroso finished 7th overall in the individual competition by carding a 363 overall score in four rounds. Davidson was 11th overall with a 398 in four rounds of play. Roadrunner freshman Alaina Villari placed 16th with a 446 score and sophomore Crystal Johnson was 17th at 478.
Overall individual medalist was Sandhills' Trinity Ahing.
In the men's competition, the Runners placed ninth overall with a team score of 1365. The final RCSJ scores were as follows:
T 47 Logan Perrone 82 87 82 89 340
50 Sam Burek 84 82 90 86 342
53 Freddie Ramos 95 87 78 86 346
T 54 Jack Wheaton 94 89 85 79 347
60 Cole Bruner 92 95 86 91 364
"We are so proud of the way our golfers performed here on the national stage, and more importantly how they conducted themselves in representing the college," said Roadrunner Coach Dr. Guy Davidson. "This was truly an historic week for our program."
Sandhills CC of Pinehurst, NC claimed its fourth golf title overall and third consecutive national crown. The Flyers had a golfer finish in three of the top four spots in the men's individual leaderboard, In the team standings, Georgia Military finished second and College of DuPage came in third.
The Flyers' Ben Read took home medalist honors by firing an four round total of 277 (72-70-67-68) which was eleven under par.
Final Championship Results
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/j/z/ih0q7o6x8het2i/2023MRD4COMBO.pdf
Results Following Round 3
The RCSJ Men's and Women's golf teams are enjoying the NJCAA Division III National Championship Meet at Chautauqua Golf Course in Chautauqua, NY in more ways than one.
Aside from competing well against some of the toughest teams in the nation, the large Roadrunner contingent may have earned an A + for team spirit, not allowing the smoky conditions to curb their enthusiasm.
"At times, I think some of the other coaches and players look at us like we're insane because we get along so well with each other," said Coach Dr. Guy Davidson. "The kids from other teams are even hanging out with our kids. Everyone's enjoying the moment.
"And for us, our team chemistry is what college sports are all about -- the team is everything! We could not be prouder of how our players have conducted themselves here."
Those efforts have extended to a tough Chautauqua course,m which has challenged Roadrunner athletes to make many adjustments. And their individual performances have been eye opening and are among the best scores the players have recorded this season.
On the men's side, freshman Logan Perrone has adjusted his game nicely to help his team into the 9th spot overall in a tough field. Perrone (251), Sam Burek (256) and Freddie Ramos (260) are team leaders. Sandhills CC sits atop the team leader board.
Perrone entered Day 3 Thursday with a 169 total score, and shot a solid 82 for his 251 score. He currently is tied for 41st overall in the field of close to 100 golfers.
"The greens are difficult but I made some adjustments," said Perrone. "I've played courses like this in other states, so I knew what to expect. I've been able to get my shots close enough where the puts I need to make are doable."
Burek and Ramos continue to perform well too. Burek hopes to bounce back from a tough Round 3 outing, but his 256 overall score is still good enough for 49th overall (tied). Ramos, who competed in the nationals last season, enjoyed a solid Day 3 with a team low score of 78, and bhis 260 combined score has moved him into the 54th overall spot.
In women's competition, sophomore Skylar Amoroso and freshman Nancy Davidson have enjoyed solid meet soverall. Amoroso sits in seventh place with a 268 score while Nancy Davidson is 11th at 298. The team is in second place behind Oxford-Emory (Georgia).
"The greens are ridiculously fast, and I've made a lot of adjustments," said Skylar. "I'm hoping the final day here will be my best of the meet."
Davidson, meanwhile, with her 298 score, is one stroke away from a top 10 appearance in the individual competition.
"Nancy has worked hard and is adjusting to this tough course pretty well," said Coach Davidson. "She looks forward to the conditions improving on Friday so she can make it into the top 10."
Watch for scoring updates later Friday for both the men's and women's competition.
Tournament Preview
Just last season, the Roadrunner Golf program sent two golfers --Freddie Ramos and alternate Cole Bruner -- to compete in the NJCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships at Chautauqua Golf Course in Chautauqua, NY, marking the first time in decades that RCSJ golfers competed in national competition.
That progress proved to be major for the Runners, who turned a corner in 2023 and have qualified full rosters for the National tournament from both their men's and women's teams.
Yes, the Roadrunners will have full representation in both men's and women's competition in this season's NJCAA Division III meet at Chautauqua GC, which runs from June 6 through 9. And rest assured, said Coach Guy Davidson, both teams will look to be competitive.
"We're not showing up just we can enjoy the scenery," noted Coach Davidson. "All of the golfers are determined to play at their best levels and make a good showing for the school."
The climb toward respectability hit high peaks when the Roadrunners competed in the both the Garden State Athletic Conference and Region 19 championship meets.
Both sophomore Jack Wheaton and freshman Logan Perrone turned in perhaps their best performances of the campaign in the Region 19 championships. So did sophomore Skylar Amoroso in the women's competition. The result? The Roadrunner Men captured the NJCAA Region 19 men's championship at Ash Brook Golf Club in Scotch Plains, NJ. The Roadrunner women, meanwhile, dominated the individual play as several athletes turned in solid performances. The region title was the first since the program was restarted in 2018 and the second major crown this season following a win in the GSAC Championships on April 26th.
Will we see the Roadrunners continue this upward trend in the upcoming NJCAA Nationals? Maybe, said Head Coach Guy Davidson.
With the help of PGA golf pro and Pitman Golf Club Manager Orist Wells, the Runners enjoyed perhaps their best practice sessions of the season during the past 10 days.
"Our scores and levels of intensity were just off the charts these past few days," said Davidson of his men's and women's golfers. "Orist (Wells) was really helping everyone out and giving great advice. Hopefully they continue to make good progress when they compete at nationals."
Leading the way for the Men's team will be sophomores Jack Wheaton, Freddie Ramos, and Cole Bruner, as well as freshmen Sam Burek and Logan Perrone. They will test their talents against approximately 75 of the top NJCAA golfers in the country.
"This is a close knit and solid group of kids," said Coach Davidson. "On a given day, any one of these five could be low scorers. They are shooting consistently well and peaking at the right time, and they are excited to compte against the best in the country."
On the women's side, RCSJ and Oxford-Emery (Georgia) will be the only full teams competing this week. Sophomore Skylar Amoroso continues to show strong improvement and hopes to emerge as one of the best in the nation. She will be joined by an ever-improving group of teammates, including freshmen Nancy Davidson and Alaina Villari along with sophomores Crystal Johnson and Amanda Volk.
The tournament runs from June 6 through June 9 with team and individual champions set to be crowned. Tee offs are scheduled for 8:30 am daily.
2023 NJCAA DIII Men's and Women's Golf Championship Schedule
June 6-9, 2023 | Chautauqua Golf Course | Chautauqua, New York
Daily Schedule:
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Information Desk Open
8:30 AM – 11:15 AM | Tee Times - 1st Wave
7:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Learning Center/ Practice Facility
RCSJ Golfers
Men's Team: Freddie Ramos, Jack Wheaton, Sam Burek, Cole Bruner, Logan Perrone
Women's Team: Skylar Amoroso, Nancy Davidson, Crystal Johnson, Alaina Villari, Amanda Volk