W&J WOMEN'S GOLF CONTINUES DOMINANCE OF PAC; WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (4/22)

Transcription

1 W&J WOMEN'S GOLF CONTINUES DOMINANCE OF PAC; WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (4/22) WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. - Washington & Jefferson College captured its third consecutive Presidents' Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championship after running away with the title on Tuesday at Oak Tree Country Club. The PAC championship this year in women's golf was determined by six rounds (18 holes at Grove City in the fall, 18 at Westminster in the spring, plus the championship double-weighted). W&J easily won the title by nearly 300 strokes after totaling 2,161 in the PAC Championship Series. W&J shot a four-person score of 707 ( ) over the past two days at the PAC Tournament. Westminster placed second with 2,459 total strokes in the six rounds, including 814 ( ) over the past two days. Grove City finished third with 2,529 strokes (837 at PAC Tournament), while Thiel placed fourth. The Tomcats totaled 1,001 strokes ( ) at Oak Tree. W&J sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) {above with Head Coach Blake Tyson} was named the PAC Most Valuable Player after finishing the four-round PAC Championship Series with 322 strokes. Walker shot 161 (80-81) during the PAC Tournament. Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) finished second in the overall series (339) and in the PAC Tournament. She collected First Team All-PAC status after carding 177 strokes (91-86). Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) made it a clean sweep of the top three place winners in the championship series with 340 strokes. She was once again a First Team All-PAC honoree after totaling 170 strokes (84-86) over the past two afternoons. Sophomore Spencer Ahrenholtz (Bridgeville, Pa./Chartiers Valley) was a Second Team All-PAC performer after placing ninth in the series with 398 strokes. She notched a score of 199 (102-97) at the PAC Tournament. Junior Marianne Mitchen (Mogadore, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) placed 10th overall with 404 strokes and earned Second Team All-PAC accolades. Mitchen finished the PAC Tournament with 202 strokes ( ). Washington & Jefferson College Head Coach Blake Tyson was selected as the Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in his first year with the squad. A. LazorchakWASHINGTON & JEFFERSON SWEEPS PAC WEEKLY GOLF AWARDS (4/22)

2 WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s golf teams swept the Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards released by the conference office on Monday afternoon for the third time this season. Senior Michael Grasso (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) earned the men s award for the second consecutive week, while junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) claimed her second PAC honor of the year. This season, the Presidents were awarded six of the conference s eight PAC Golfer of the Week honorees. Grasso recorded a pair of top-six finishes last week to lead the W&J men s team. He shot 74 on Thursday as W&J placed second at the Saint Vincent Invitational at Latrobe Country Club. Grasso tied with teammate Marc Fillari (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) for second place in the individual standings. Over the weekend, Grasso fired a two-round total of 152 (73-79) to finish sixth individually at the CMU Links at Spring Church Shootout. Grasso held the opening-round lead and helped W&J place second in the five-team field. Lazorchak earned medalist honors last Monday at the Westminster Invitational held at the New Castle Country Club following a round of 88. W&J won the five-team tournament. On Sunday, Lazorchak carded a score of 82 and tied for eighth place at the Wilmington (Ohio) Spring Invitational at Majestic Springs Golf Club. Washington & Jefferson claimed third place of nine teams in the tournament. PRESIDENTS CLAIM THIRD PLACE AT WILMINGTON SPRING INVITE (4/20) WILMINGTON, Ohio - Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) shot a season-low round of 78 to help the Washington & Jefferson College women's golf team place third of 10 teams on Sunday at the Wilmington Spring Invitational at Majestic Springs Golf Club. Walker helped the Presidents post a four-person score of 341 to finish third as a team. Otterbein won the team title with 308 strokes, while Allegheny placed second with 327. Walker grabbed third place in the individual standings, marking her fourth consecutive top-three showing. Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) carded 82 strokes for the Presidents, while senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) followed closely behind her with 83 shots.

3 Junior Marianne Mitchen (Mogadore, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) was the Presidents' fourth finisher with 98 strokes. Washington & Jefferson College returns to action tomorrow when it competes in the first round of action at the 2008 Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships at Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex, Pa. W&J has claimed back-to-back league championships. Walker, L.PRESIDENTS SWEEP PAC WEEKLY GOLF AWARDS (4/15) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s golf teams swept the Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards on Monday for the second time in three weeks. Senior Michael Grasso (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Kenston) earned the men s accolade, while sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) notched the women s honor. On March 30th, juniors Marc Fillari (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) and Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) collected the men s and women s awards, respectively, for Washington & Jefferson. Grasso guided Washington & Jefferson to a third-place finish last weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Hershey, Pa., by placing fifth in a 75-golfer field. He fired a two-day score of 150 (77-73) to finish at six-over par. Grasso s second day score of 73 tied for the third-lowest round of the day. Grasso has participated in the NCAA Division III Tournament in each of the past two seasons and is focused on a third-straight bid if he can lift the Presidents to claim next week s PAC title (Apr ) at Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex, Pa. This year s PAC Men s Championship team earns automatic qualification status for the NCAA Division III Championships to be held May in Braselton, Ga., at the Chateau Elan Resort. Walker captured a pair of top-three finishes last week, including medalist honors at the W&J Southpointe Invitational on Monday in Canonsburg, Pa. Walker fired a round of 85 to top the field of 22 golfers. On Saturday, Walker helped W&J to a ninth-place finish at the Ohio Northern Polar Bear Invitational after placing third in an 81-golfer field following a round of 82. Following the tournament, Walker was chosen to the All-Tournament Team. W&J COLLECTS SECOND SPRING TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP (4/14)

4 NEW CASTLE, Pa. - Washington & Jefferson College collected the first two place winners and wrapped up its second women's golf team title of the spring after winning the M.L. Cleland Eckles Invitational on Monday hosted by Westminster College at the New Castle Country Club. The Presidents shot a four-person score of 375 to win the tournament by 46 strokes. Westminster claimed second place with 421 shots, while Grove City (434), Saint Vincent (435) and Thiel (522) rounded out the five-team tournament. Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) earned medalist honors after carding a round of 88 (45-43). Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) posted her third-straight, top-three finish after finishing with 89 strokes (48-41). Walker was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Player of the Week earlier this afternoon. Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) grabbed fourth place with 94 shots (50-44). Sophomore Spencer Ahrenholtz (Bridgeville, Pa./Chartiers Valley) took 10th place with 104 (51-53), while junior Marianne Mitchen (Mogadore, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) notched 16th place with 113 (52-61). Washington & Jefferson continues its spring schedule this weekend when it competes in the twoday Wilmington (Ohio) Invitational. The first round of action is slated for Saturday morning. W&J TIES FOR NINTH AT ONU WOMEN S INVITATIONAL (4/12) LIMA, Ohio -- Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) highlighted four Washington & Jefferson women s golfers following a third-place finish on Saturday at the 5th Annual Ohio Northern Lady Polar Bear Invitational hosted at the Colonial Golfers Club. The tournament was scheduled to be a two-day event, but was shortened to 18 holes due to the threat of inclement weather on Sunday. Walker placed third in an 81-golfer field after shooting 82 (40-42). She was selected to the All- Tournament Team. Franklin s Katie Tewell won the tournament with a five-over par score of 77 (38-39), while Otterbein s Catherine Brunoehler shot 81 to finish second. Otterbein won the tournament for the fifth consecutive time with a four-person score of 350. Franklin placed second with 356 strokes, while Allegheny (361), Ohio Northern (366) and Ohio Northern B (382) rounded out the top five teams in the 16-squad field. W&J carded a four person-score of 399 and tied with John Carroll for ninth place.

5 Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) tied for 20th in the individual standings after carding a score of 93 (46-47). Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) totaled 110 strokes (51-59), while sophomore Spencer Ahrenholtz (Bridgeville, Pa./Chartiers Valley) posted a score of 114 (57-57) in her first collegiate start. Washington & Jefferson continues its spring schedule on Monday when competing in the Westminster Invitational. Leslie WalkerWASHINGTON & JEFFERSON WINS SOUTHPOINTE INVITATIONAL (4/7) CANONSBURG, Pa. - Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) {left} earned medalist honors with a round of 85 to help Washington & Jefferson College win its own women's golf invitational on Monday at Southpointe Golf Club. The Presidents strung together a four-person score of 375 to run away with the tournament by 78 strokes. Saint Vincent placed second with 453 shots followed by Westminster (462), Grove City (480) and Waynesburg (617). W&J had three of the top five finishers in the 22-golfer field led by Walker's individual title. Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) collected runner-up laurels with 88 strokes, while junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) tied for fourth place with 97 strokes. Junior Marianne Mitchen (Mogadore, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) rounded out the W&J studentathletes in seventh place with 105 shots. Washington & Jefferson returns to action on Saturday for the first of two rounds at the Ohio Northern Invitational. A. LazorchakFOUR W&J STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN PAC WEEKLY HONORS (4/1) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College softball and golf teams swept the Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards released by the conference office on Monday afternoon.

6 Junior Rebecca Nachreiner (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) was selected as the PAC Softball Pitcher of the Week, while junior first baseman Valerie Schultz (Washington, Pa./McGuffey) earned the PAC Softball Hitter of the Week award. Junior Marc Fillari (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) was chosen as the PAC Men s Golfer of the Week, while classmate Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) {left} notched the PAC Women s Golfer of the Week honor. Nachreiner and Schultz helped W&J softball post a perfect 6-0 record last week to up the squad s record to 14-4 overall. The Presidents 13-3 start to begin the season was the best record through 16 games in school history. Nachreiner dominated her opponents last week as she notched a 3-0 record on the mound with a 0.37 earned-run average. During three complete games, she allowed only one earned run in 19 innings, while striking out 17 batters. Schultz batted.600 (9-for-15) last week and knocked in seven runs. She had three doubles and one home run, while also scoring seven times. Defensively, she did not commit an error in 46 chances at first base. Fillari earned medalist honors on Saturday at the Waynesburg University Invitational at the Greene County Country Club for the 22nd-ranked Presidents. Fillari posted a four-over par score of 76 and won the tournament by two shots. He also was W&J s top place winner at the spring-opening Jekyll Island (Ga.) Invitational from March In a field featuring many of NCAA Division III s top golfers, Fillari placed 19th with a three-day score of 227 ( ). Lazorchak also opened the women s spring season at Jekyll Island and collected the team s top finish in 50th place. She totaled 260 strokes after firing scores of 88, 87 and 85. The W&J softball and golf squads are both led by first-year head coaches. Nicole Vitello has directed the Presidents best softball start in school history, while Blake Tyson leads both golf teams. Blake TysonW&J NAMES BLAKE TYSON AS HEAD GOLF COACH (2/15) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College Director of Athletics Bill Dukett announced Blake Tyson as the Presidents new head men s and women s golf coach on Friday morning. Tyson is a former Division I golfer at Duquesne University ( ). He earned a bachelor s degree in political science and general business at Duquesne.

7 Tyson has years of professional playing experience with over 25 professional starts. He was a 2005 participant on the NGA/Hooters Pro Golf Tour and also spent time on the Tarheel Tour, a professional golf tour in North Carolina and South Carolina. We believe Blake will be a great addition to our staff, said Dukett. He brings a great enthusiasm for the game and his role as an assistant professional shows his ability to teach golf to players with different levels of experience. From , Tyson served as an assistant golf professional in his hometown of Chesapeake, Va. During the past two years, Tyson has worked as an account executive with Powerhouse Advertising in Virginia Beach. In addition, Tyson successfully passed the United States ASTB Naval Flight Battery, earning eligibility for Naval Pilot and Naval Flight Officer commissioning this past August. Tyson replaces Peter Coughlin, who became the head men s golf coach at Division II California (Pa.) in January. WALKER NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM AT JOHN CARROLL (10/14) CHESTERLAND, Ohio -- Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) shot 83 and was named to the All-Tournament Team after leading Washington & Jefferson College to a fourthplace finish at the John Carroll Women s Golf Fall Invitational at Pete Dye designed Fowler s Mill Golf Club. Otterbein captured the team championship with 340 strokes. Ohio Northern was second with 342 shots followed by John Carroll (376), W&J (382), Wittenberg (386), Mount Union (388), Baldwin-Wallace (390) and Denison (417). Walker placed fifth in the individual standings. John Carroll s Amanda Shannon earned medalist honors after shooting 79 and edging Megan Brennan of Ohio Northern in a scorecard playoff. Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) carded 91 strokes, while senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) finished with 93 shots. Junior Marianne Mitchen (Suffield, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) rounded out the W&J competitors with 116 strokes. W&J has concluded the fall portion of its schedule. The Presidents open the spring season on March 22nd at the Jekyll Island (Ga.) Invitational. Allison CasoliW&J GOLF TO HOLD SPECIAL OLYMPICS FUNDRAISER (10/13)

8 WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College men s and women s golf teams will hold a special charity fundraiser, The W&J Golf-A-Thon, for the Special Olympics on Tuesday (Oct. 16) at Nemacolin Woodlands. The Presidents, led by Head Coach Peter Coughlin, will play as many holes as possible starting Tuesday morning to raise money for the Special Olympics. The teams will start the Golf-A- Thon in the morning and play throughout the evening at Nemacolin Woodlands Links Course. For more information or if you would like to make a pledge for the Golf-A-Thon, please contact Head Coach Peter Coughlin by (pcoughlin@washjeff.edu) or phone ( , ext. 3070). PRESIDENTS PLACE SIXTH AT ALLEGHENY (10/9) MEADVILLE, Pa. - Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) posted a sixth-place finish to lead the Washington & Jefferson College women's golf team to a sixth-place showing of seven teams on Tuesday at the Allegheny Invitational. Allegheny College won the title with a four-person score of 328, while Ohio Northern was second with 350 strokes. Allegheny "B" was third with 352 strokes followed by Mercyhurst (370), Walsh (379), W&J (388) and Grove City (447). Ohio Northern's Megan Brennan won a playoff to claim medalist honors with a round of 79. Lazorchak shot 82 (41-41) to earn sixth place. Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) tied for 13th place with 89 shots (45-44), while sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) tied for 17th place with 91 strokes (46-45). Junior Marianne Mitchen (Suffield, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) placed 41st with 126 strokes (66-60). Washington & Jefferson concludes its fall schedule on Sunday when traveling to the John Carroll Invitational in Cleveland, Ohio. PRESIDENTS CLAIM FIRST LEG OF PAC WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP (10/2) GROVE CITY, Pa. - Led by junior Alison Lazorchak's (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) tournament-low round of 79, the Washington & Jefferson College women's golf team won the Grove City Fall Tournament on Tuesday at Grove City Country Club.

9 The Presidents shot a four-person score of 372 to defeat Westminster (410) by 38 strokes. Grove City placed third with 421 strokes, while Saint Vincent (441) and Waynesburg (610) rounded out the standings. The tournament counts as the first leg of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship. This year, the conference champion will be crowned through a number of different tournaments over the fall and spring, culminating with the PAC Tournament in April. Lazorchak earned medalist honors with her round of 79. Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) placed second following a round of 81, while senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) tied for third place with 93 strokes. Junior Marianne Mitchen (Suffield, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) tied for 14th place with 119 shots. The Presidents continue their fall schedule next Tuesday at the Allegheny Classic. W&J WOMEN'S GOLF OPENS SEASON WITH THIRD-PLACE FINISH (9/9) WASHINGTON, Pa - Sophomore Leslie Walker (Laurel, Md./Atholton) placed fourth in the individual standings to help Washington & Jefferson College open its women's golf season with a third-place showing at the Anderson (Ind.) Invitational. The Presidents posted a two-day score of 704 ( ) to trail tournament winner DePauw ( ) by 78 strokes. Franklin placed second. Walker fired a two-day score of 159 (79-80) to pace the Presidents. Junior Alison Lazorchak (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) placed seventh overall with 166 strokes (82-84). Senior Allison Casoli (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) totaled 170 strokes (85-85), while senior Marijo Bilitski (California, Pa./California) shot 209 ( ) over the two days. Junior Marianne Mitchen (Suffield, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) rounded out the W&J competitors with 128 strokes ( ). Washington & Jefferson College continues its fall schedule on October 1st at the Grove City Invitational.