20th-Ranked Crusader Golf Team in NCAA Tourney for Third Time in Four Years
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) -- The five-time defending Middle Atlantic Conference champion Susquehanna University golf team is in the NCAA Division III Championship field for the third time in four seasons. Under 10th-year head coach Don Harnum, the Crusader golfers will play in this year's 72-hole NCAA Division III Championship event, Monday, May 17, through Thursday, May 20, at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass. The event is hosted by Williams College.
The NCAA Division III Championship Selection Committee invites the top 23 teams and five individuals for a total of 120 participants. Susquehanna – which was 23rd at the 1996 Division III national championships in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and 22nd last year in Jekyll Island, Ga. – recently won its fifth-straight MAC championship by a 38-stroke margin. It was the sixth title under Harnum.
Susquehanna is tied for 20th in the latest MasterCard Division III Men's Team Rankings.
"I would like to think we can make this an annual trip (to nationals). It certainly validates us as a quality program," said Harnum, who also coach when Rob Rohrbach made the Division III Championship field in 1992. "Unlike the previous two, we really expected to get back to nationals. Now we'd like to do a little better there than we've done in the past two trips."
Senior co-captain Joe Rossi (Horsham/Hatboro-Horsham H.S.) and sophomore Hugh Leahy, III (Wilmington, Del./Archmere Academy) led Susquehanna to its recent MAC Championship repeat. Rossi was this season's MAC individual champion while shooting a 54-hole total of 21-over-par 237 for the three-shot victory over Leahy, who won the MAC title in '98. Rossi has the team's low stroke average this season at 79.6 for 17 rounds, while Leahy is averaging 80.9 in 18 rounds – including fall rounds.
Leahy led the Crusaders last year at nationals, placing 68th with a 72-hole total of 310 (76-80-77-77). Rossi tied for 73rd at 312 (79-76-81-76).
Freshman Ryan Franks (Huntingdon/Huntingdon H.S.) was third at MACs with a 54- hole total of 242. He will bring a 80.1-average for 18 rounds to his first NCAA Championship and is the only Crusader starter who did not play on last season's NCAA Tournament team.
Senior Corey Troxell (Clearfield/Clearfield Area H.S.) and sophomore Chris Scagliotti (Allentown/Emmaus H.S.) round out the lineup. Troxell tied for 20th this season at MACs with a 257, while Scagliotti was disqualified for the first day at MACs and shot a 131 on day two. Troxell averaged 81.2 for his 18 rounds this season, while Scagliotti is at 81.9.
The Crusader golfers won three tournaments this spring and were second at two others.
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