Patrick Fergus
@Fergus5Fergus
The Springfield College men’s Golf team took home the top spot in the MASCAC Championships for the second time in program history.
With the title, the Pride automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III championships – the first appearance for Springfield since 2012 – next spring after it finished first at the New England College Conference Championships at The Meadow at Peabody on Oct. 1.
After finishing runner-up of the MASCAC Championships the previous two years, the team and sophomore David Girouard were thrilled to finally prevail against the rest of the pack.
“It was a great feeling to do what we couldn’t before…and not just for the team, but for the program,” Girouard said.
The Pride started off the weekend strong, totaling 302 strokes on the first day, with four student-athletes shooting 78 or better on a course with a par of 71. Although they struggled through messy conditions on the second day with 321 strokes, the two-day total of 623 was significantly better than the competition.
Springfield wrapped up the weekend with a difference of 21 strokes over MCLA (644), Salem State (645), Worcester State (665) and Westfield State (736).
For Girouard’s first time on the Meadow’s course greens, he took runner-up honors, shooting a 78 on Sunday, highlighted by a 36 on the front nine.
“My key strategy is to stay patient even after a bad stretch of holes,” Girouard said. “I wanted to make it as easy on myself and hit as many onto the green as possible, but it’s important that my wedge game is on point so I can save myself from dropping points.”
Other standout performances for Springfield included senior Nicholas DeMaio – who finished fourth individually at the tournament – and first-year Amir Ardolino, who secured Springfield’s best second-day score with a 76, including 10 pars and two birdies, which was good enough for fifth place in the field.
Sophomore Justin Acquarulo also had 10 pars during a big day on Sunday, as a total of five Springfield golfers placed in the top 10.
Springfield will now compete in the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships, held from May 14-17 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada.
The national stage is a compelling prospect for many players on the team, and Girouard is no exception.
“It’s obviously exciting to see how our team will shape up against other Division III teams across the nation and to travel across the country to compete,” Girouard said.
They’ll bring some honors with them, as head coach Joe Eadie was named MASCAC coach of the year, and Girouard, DeMaio and Ardolino all earned All-MASCAC first-team honors.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics