Endicott, N.Y. – Junior John Clare (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) earned medalist honors as Le Moyne College rallied on the second day to tie for first place at the 35th Northeast-10 Conference Men's Golf Championship, which was held on Sunday and Monday at the par-72, 6670-yard En-Joie Golf Course.

Le Moyne and Southern New Hampshire University tied for first place with a 36-hole score of five-over par 581. The Penmen captured the championship trophy by defeating the Dolphins, 15-16, on the first playoff hole, which was hole #10. To go along with the conference title, Southern New Hampshire earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships Atlantic/East Regional, which Le Moyne will host May 2-4 at Timber Banks Golf Club in Baldwinsville. The 581 total posted by the Dolphins and Penmen is the second-best score over 36 holes in the conference's history and the best since Southern New Hampshire registered a 578 to win the 2002 championship. Additionally, the 581 is the best score by the Dolphins over the last 11 seasons, eclipsing the previous best mark of 582 set 21 days ago at the Navy Fall Classic and equaled five days later at the Dowling College September Shootout. The Dolphins, who finished as the runner-up for the second straight year and for the seventh time in 20 years in the league, including the third time via the tiebreaking procedure, opened the championship with a nine-over par 297 to land in third place, seven shots out of first place. On Monday, the Dolphins fired a four-under par 284 to climb into the tie with Southern New Hampshire. The 284 is the second-best 18-hole score in the conference's history and the best since Southern New Hampshire posted a 281 en route to its 578 in 2002.

On Sunday, the Penmen jumped out to a first-round lead with a two-over par 290 and carded a three-over par 291 on Monday to hold onto a share of the top spot. Bentley University, which won last year's championship by 13 shots over the Dolphins, placed third with an eight-over par 584, the best score by a third-place finisher in the conference's history. The Falcons were in second place after the first day with a 291, but posted a 293 in the second round to slip to third. The College of Saint Rose placed fourth with a 599 off rounds of 297 and 302, while Assumption College rounded out the top half of the field with a 624 after rounds of 313 and 311.

Clare, who earned the conference's Gordon McCullough Player of the Year honors for his performance, while also leading the All-Conference First Team, is the sixth Le Moyne golfer, and first since Kevin Jackson in 2008, to claim medalist honors at the conference championships. Clare opened the championship with a two-under par 70, which included four birdies and an eagle, to land in a tie for first place. He tallied four more birdies and another 70 on Monday to claim the individual title. Not only did his birdie on the 18th hole give him the best 36-hole score of the championship, it put the Dolphins into the playoff.

Senior Aidan Fuller (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) earned Northeast-10 Conference First Team All-Conference honors for the second straight year by placing fifth with an even-par 144. He tallied a four-over par 76, which included four birdies, in the first round to land in a four-way tie for 16th place. He then jumped 11 places on Monday, the second-largest leap of the day, by registering a four-under par 68, which tied for the best round of the championship. He closed out his round with birdies on each of his last three holes.

Sophomore Joe Petrin (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), who made his NE-10 Championship debut, tied for sixth place with a career-best one-over par 145 to earn Northeast-10 Conference Second Team All-Conference accolades. He fired a one-over par 73, which included a pair of birdies, to land in a four-way tie for seventh place after the first round. He registered three birdies on Monday to post his first career round of even-par 72, which enabled him to move up one spot in the standings.

Sophomore Daniel Thomas (Fayetteville, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius), who also made his NE-10 Championship debut, tied his career-high with a 152 to finish in a three-way tie for 15th place. After placing 23rd on Sunday with a 78, he fired a career-best round of 74, which included five birdies, to jump eight spots in the rankings.

Graduate student Dan Edwards (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) finished in 35th place with a 161. He carded an 81 in the first round and then posted an 80 on Monday.

Le Moyne, which has claimed at least a share of first place in three of its four Division II events and finished in second place in the fourth event, closes out the Fall season on Friday and Saturday at the Saint Rose Fall Shootout at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland, N.Y.