Bryant Martinez
In Lewisburg, Pa., from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10, the Mount St. Mary’s men’s golf team competed at the Bucknell Invitational to begin their competitive journey. In addition to Bucknell, Holy Cross, University of Ottawa, Robert Morris, Towson, Colgate, Saint Joseph’s, St. Francis, Rider, Villanova, Canisius, Merrimack, Long Island University, Wagner, Monmouth, St. Peter’s, Cornell and Youngstown State were among the competitors that set a strong field of competitors and the team showed their outstanding performance and determination through the tournament.
The team finished the first day of the tournament in a solid sixth place with a team total of 293 (+13). Devin Smith (C’25), who shot a 71 (+1), finished the day tied for ninth place and just one over par overall among the team members. This outstanding effort provided the foundation for an upcoming, exciting competition.
The Mountaineers continued their determination and commitment to success on the second day of the competition. Their combined score over the first two days sat at 583 (+23) and their team score of 290 (+10) put them at the sixth place overall in the standings.
Devin Smith maintained his outstanding performance, finishing in a tie for 12th place with a score of 143 (+3). Ben Smith (C’24) kept up his consistency, finishing the second round one over par (71) and tied for 22nd place with a score of 145 (+5).
Aaron Sorkin (C’25) maintained his competitiveness and tied for 35th place with a score of 147 (+7), while Juan Fradera (C’24) displayed his talent and tied for 43rd with a score of 148 (+8).
With a score of 155 (+15), Nathan Pheng (C’26) was tied for 86th place and a score of 159 (+19), graduate student Joseph O’Malley stayed tied for 102nd place. The Mountaineers showed their drive and potential for success under pressure by giving it their all.
Men’s golf put up an excellent effort on the last day of the Bucknell Invitational. By shooting a competition-best 275 (-5), they made their mark on the field and advanced to fourth place with a final score of 858 (+18).
This impressive performance demonstrated the Mountaineers’ resilience and ability to perform under pressure. A member of the team Martin Hurtado (C’27) stated, “It was my first college tournament and I feel very confident with the team we have, and I believe that we can go far. I hope this is a good season for all of us.”
Ben Smith and Devin Smith both performed well in the individual rankings. Devin Smith won third place with a gross score of 209 (-1) while Ben Smith tied for 10th with a score of 212 (+2). The dynamic Smiths team shot seven under par, impacting the competition in a positive way for the Mountaineers.
The Dickinson Invitational, which includes a rescheduled one-day tournament on Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. in Carlisle, Pa. is the Mountaineers’ upcoming test. They bring the knowledge they gained from the Bucknell Invitational and want to keep getting better and compete at the best level as they enter this competition.
