Throw some water on the UR golf team because they are on fire. For the first time in the Liberty League Tournament’s history, the Yellowjackets stood atop the leaderboard, just one stroke ahead of competitor Skidmore College.
Hosted by Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, the Liberty League Tournament was comprised of a modest field of six colleges and universities. It is typically a two day event but, due to rain, the teams were only able to squeeze in one round of golf.
The Yellowjackets carded a 290 to Skidmore’s 291, which was enough for the team to bring home the title.
“It is always good to beat Skidmore and, hopefully, we can make this a habit,” head coach Rich Johnson said.
Junior Stephen Goodridge ended his first round performance at the top of the pack with a 70. He shared that position with Skidmore rookie Chris Dejon. The top performance earned both stars the Co-Player of the Year Award and selection for First Team All-Liberty Honors, an honor bestowed to players who are among the top five finishers in the tournament.
This title is not new to Goodridge, who was chosen for the team after finishing as runner-up in last year’s tournament.
Joining Goodridge on the team are sophomore John Pecor and senior Chris Wuest, who both turned in a 73 on the course this past weekend.
Their fifth place finishes in the tournament helped round out the First Team which consisted of three Yellowjacket players, the other two being from Skidmore.
“Jon bounced back nicely from a disappointing tournament at Williams College this past weekend,” Johnson said. “Nothing surprising from Chris’s performance except that he continued his steady play, which is why I am impressed with him this year.”
The Yellowjackets didn’t just fill up the First Team, some of their other talented players landed spots on the Second Team All-Liberty Honors roster too.
Senior Joe Derrigo and freshman sensation Brandon Isobe both cupped a 74, ranking them 7th on the tournament’s scoreboard.
Senior Robert Sherman missed the cut by one stroke, shooting a 76, just one behind golfer Chris Felix from St. Lawrence University, though Sherman’s 12th place finish contributed to the Yellowjackets’ tournament title when he placed one stroke better than Skidmore College’s Matt Canavan.
Junior Matt Cairo also failed to make the cut, but he did score a 78.
The Yellowjackets are down to just two more tournaments this fall and have shown no real signs of faltering. They’re constantly competing for the top finishes in every tournament and have played unmatched, save for a few select competitors among the elite group.
Right now the Yellowjackets are looking to stay strong this 2006 year and will do so at the Nazareth/Fisher Fall Shootout hosted by Nazareth College and St. John Fisher College this upcoming Meliora Weekend.
Serafini can be reached at js@campustimes.org.
