OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine – Nichols won the 2021 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Golf Fall Qualifier on Thursday (Sept. 16) afternoon at Dunegrass Golf Club with a team score of 319 (+31). The win secures the Bison's right to host the 2022 CCC Golf Championship in the spring.
Endicott, the University of New England, and Suffolk were the three other teams to earn spots in the spring event.
The Bison were led by an impressive performance from 2021 CCC Golf Qualifier medalist Colby Mitchell (Gloucester, Mass.) whose round-best 69 (-3) was the only score below par on the afternoon. Graduate student Reece McLeod (Leicester, Mass.) was the only other Bison in the top-10 as he tied for ninth with a score of 82 (+10). Casey Torname (Salem, N.H.) and Evan Libby (Ludlow, Mass.) were Nichols' two other scorers with respective tallies of 83 (+11) and 85 (+13). The Bison's fifth golfer was Anthony Pecci (Tewksbury, Mass.) who carded an 89 (+17).
Endicott was the runner-up of Thursday's event, trailing the Bison by just two strokes at 321 (+33). Junior Nicholas Grimbilas (Strafford, N.H.) was the runner-up in the individual competition with a 75 (+3) on the day, leading the Gulls. Sophomore Tyler Baker (Falmouth, Maine) also had a top-five performance, signing his card with a score of 78 (+6). Brady Burke (Bedford, N.H.) and Frank Mahoney (Braintree, Mass.) were the other scorers for the Gulls, both finishing the round with an 84 (+12).
Host University of New England earned its spot in the CCC Golf Championship with a team score of 327 (+39), aided by three top-10 performances. Junior Tom Higgins (Scarborough, Maine) led the way for the Nor'easters with a team-best 80 (+8), which placed him sixth individually. Following right behind Higgins were junior Marcus Costa (North Attleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Jake Mielcarz (Bow, N.H.), who tied for seventh with matching 81s (+9). Jack Sicurella (Winthrop, Mass.) provided UNE's final scoring number with an 85 (+13).
Earning the final spot in the CCC Championship event in the spring was Suffolk, which earned 338 (+50) points in its first-ever CCC Fall Qualifier. The Rams joined the league last year, but the qualifying event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Suffolk's best performer was sophomore Mauro Stanchieri (El Hatillo, Venezuela) who finished tied for fourth with a 78 (+6). Cameron Sinopoli (Marlborough, Mass.), Jake Zirlin (Sleepy Hollow, Ill.), and Nicholas Kirby (Norwood, Mass.) were the three other contributing scorers for the Rams. Sinopoli carded an 84 (+12), while Zirlin turned in an 85 (+13) and Kirby finished with a 91.
Western New England, which had advanced from the qualifying round every year since the format was introduced, finds itself on the outside this year. The Golden Bears barely missed the cut with a team score of 340 (+52). Leading the way for WNE was graduate student Ryan Zogby (New Hartford, N.Y.) whose round 76 (+4) placed him third overall.
Freshman Mario Mateo (Algete Madrid Autonomous Community, Spain) was the top golfer for Gordon, shooting an 82 (+10). The Fighting Scots placed sixth in this year's event with a 343 (+55) team score.
Roger Williams and Wentworth tied for seventh in this year's qualifying event with team scores of 349 (+61). Burke Howell (Beverly, Mass.) was the Hawks low-scorer with an 83 (+11), while junior Ben Wright (Boxborough, Mass.) led the Leopards with a plus-13 85.
The four CCC Championship qualifiers will compete for the 2022 CCC Golf Championship in the spring. The two-day, 36-hole event will take place the weekend of April 30. The winner of the CCC Championship will be named the CCC Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship.
(courtesy of Doug Chin, CCC)
