Nashport, Ohio – The Le Moyne College men's golf team registered seven birdies over the final five holes of the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional to overcome a three-shot deficit after 49 holes and advance to the NCAA Championships. The Dolphins finished the 54-hole regional, which was hosted by the Mountain East Conference at the par-72, 7141-yard Longaberger Golf Club, with a score of 905 to place fourth and claim the final bid to the NCAA Championships. The Dolphins are advancing to the NCAA Championships for the second time in the program's history and for first time since the 2007 squad earned a berth by winning the Northeast Regional championship.

The top four teams advance to the 20-team NCAA Championship on May 18-22 at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C., while the top two individuals not with a team advancing to the Championship also advance.
 
The Dolphins opened the regional with a 310 to place fifth, four shots off the lead. Le Moyne followed with a 304 on Tuesday, the fifth-best score of the day, to move up into fourth place. The Dolphins closed out the regional with a 291 in the third round, which tied for the best score of the week, to remain in fourth place with a three-day score of 905. The Dolphins edged St. Thomas Aquinas for the final bid to the NCAA Championships by four shots. The Spartans recorded a 309 in each of the first two rounds and then posted a 291 on Wednesday to finish with a 45-over par 909. After each team's five participants had finished the 13th hole, St. Thomas Aquinas was at 44 over, while the Dolphins were three shots back at 47 over. Following the first finisher, the Spartans still held a three-shot lead, while it dwindled to two after senior Dan Edwards (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) birdied the final hole. The Dolphins pulled even when junior Aidan Fuller (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) birdied three of his final five holes to make up two shots on his partner. St. Thomas Aquinas regained the lead by one shot after four competitors had finished, but sophomore John Clare (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) went three-under over his last five holes and his partner was two-over in the stretch to swing the lead back into Le Moyne's favor.

Wilmington University won the team competition with a 33-over par 897. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a 309 to land in a three-way tie for second place, fired a four-over 292 on Tuesday to take over first place and then captured the title by five shots with a 296 on Wednesday. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which finished first at last year's regional, placed second with a 38-over par 902. The Crimson Hawks recorded a 306 on Monday to take a three-shot lead, registered a 300 in the second round to slip into second place and then held onto the spot with a 296 on the final day. The University of Charleston finished in third place for the second straight year with a 54-hole score of 903. The Golden Eagles carded a 309 in the first round to land in the three-way tie for second, a 300 on Tuesday to dip into third place and then recorded a 294 to remain in the third place. St. Thomas Aquinas' Niklas Koerner, who finished in a tie for fifth place with a 223 off rounds of 78, 75 and 70, and Gannon's Matt Barto, who also tied for fifth place with a 223 after rounds of 74, 79 and 70, advance to the Championship as individuals.
 
Clare, who finished in a four-way tie for 11th place last year with a score of four-over par, finished four-over par again this year with a 220, but he landed in third place this time around. Clare, who recorded nine birdies (tied for the sixth-most in the regional) and 33 pars over the 54 holes, opened the regional with a three-over par 75 to place in a four-way tie for 10th. He moved up into a tie for fifth after registering a one-over 73 in the second round. He jumped up to third place on Wednesday by shooting an even-par 72, which included three birdies over his last five holes.

Fuller, who tied for 38th place last year with a 225, tied for seventh place this year with a nine-over par 225 after tallying a team-best 10 birdies (tied for the second-most in the regional) and 28 pars. He registered a 76, which included four birdies, on the first day to land in a three-way tie for 14th place. He dropped into a four-way tie for 27th after posting a 79 in the second round. He skyrocketed up the standings on Wednesday with five birdies, including three over his last five holes, en route to a two-under par 70, the second-best score of his 68-round career.

Senior Dan Molter (Port Crane, N.Y./Chenango Forks), who carded eight birdies and 29 pars, placed in a six-way tie for 14th, up one spot from last year, after posting an 11-over par 227 over the three rounds. He opened the week with a 77 to land in a six-way tie for 17th place. In the second round, he registered four birdies en route to another 77, which put him in a six-way tie for 21st place. He jumped seven spots in the standings by firing a one-over 73, which included three birdies and 12 pars, on Wednesday.
 
Edwards, who made his NCAA debut, placed in a three-way tie for 43rd place with a three-round score of 236. Edwards, who posted seven birdies and 25 pars, opened play at the regional with one of the day's nine scores of 85. He moved into a four-way tie for 48th place on Tuesday by using four birdies to post a 75, the second-best score of his Le Moyne career. He jumped five more spots on the final day with a 76, which is tied for the fourth-best mark.
 
Freshman Joe Petrin (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) registered four birdies and 29 pars en route to a three-round score of 240 and a six-way tie for 55th place. He opened the regional with an 82 to land in a seven-way tie for 51st place. He dipped into a five-way tie for 52nd place with a 79 in the second round and then recorded another 79 on the final day. He posted 11 pars and one birdie in each of the second and third rounds.