Golf News

AGGIES FINISH FIFTH AT FREEDOM CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

HERSHEY (PA) - Nick van Hook placed in the top five and earned first team, all-Freedom honors for the second year in a row as Delaware Valley College placed fifth out of six teams at the 2008 conference championships held at the Hershey Country Club (par 71).

The Aggies recorded a four-man team score of 703 over the two-day, 36-hole competition. FDU-Florham won the Freedom title for the third consecutive year as the Devils edged Manhattanville College by one stroke (664 to 665). King's College (682) and Wilkes University (701) placed third and fourth respectively while DeSales University (713) trailed Delaware Valley and finished sixth. Arcadia University did not have enough golfers to compete in the team standings.

After shooting a first round of 88, van Hook entered the second day of competition tied for 18th place out of 32 golfers. However, the junior posted the second-best round of Sunday as his eight-over-par 79 propelled him into a fifth-place tie with two other golfers. The impressive round on day two also gave van Hook the tiebreaker edge (ties are broken to establish the top 10) to officially finish fifth and garner first-team honors. van Hook finished in third place last season when the championships consisted of 54 holes.

Senior Scott Gingrich capped his Aggie career by finishing tied with two others for 14th place with a 173 (84-89). Ryan Terrill shot an 87 in round two and his two-day total of 176 was good enough for 18th place. Mike Molchan (101-86) and Ryan Tretter (105-97) placed 30th and 32nd respectively.

Greg Stockley of FDU-Florham and Javier Vargas of Manhattanville finished tied for top individuals honors as each shot a 19-over-par 161. Stockley then won the title on the second playoff hole.