WilmU's Terrific Final Round Propels Wildcats to 2019 CACC Men's Golf Championship
OFFICIAL PHOTO GALLERY OF 2019 CACC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
FINAL RESULTS
HAWORTH, N.J. (October 8, 2019) -- Wilmington University carded an impressive four-under-par, 292, during the final round on Tuesday to come from behind and capture the 2019 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men's Golf Championship at White Beeches Country Club in Haworth, N.J. The Wildcats finished with a two-day total of 600 (+24) and edged local rival Goldey-Beacom College by six strokes, as the Lightning finished second at +30, including a 308 on Tuesday.
Wilmington made it a sweep of the championships on Tuesday, as Enrique Valverde fired a 72 (E) over the final 18 holes to win individual medalist honors. He finished three over for the tournament with a two-round total of 147. Valverde posted four birdies in the round, including on holes 2, 5, 8 and 13. Valverde was tied with teammate Braden McKay for low round honors on the day, as both posted 72s.
Valverde edged teammate Tyler Cleaves, who finished second at +5 (149). Cleaves totaled a 73 (+1) on Tuesday to move up five spots from eighth place where he found himself entering the final 18. Arvy Shongwe tied for 11th at +18, while McKay and Jack Dixon tied for 18th at at 18-over.
Valverde and Cleaves were named to the all-tournament, as the top-five individuals (including ties) earned a spot on the squad. The remaining members to make the all-tournament squad included Goldey-Beacom's Gonzalo Moreno and Pablo Saenz Avila (T-3rd, +6, 150). Saenz Avila entered Tuesday's final round in the lead following his impressive 70 (-2) during Moday's opening round. However, three double bogeys on the front set the tone for a frustrating finish. The other individual to earn all-tournament honors included Chestnut Hill College's Shawn Mayer, who posted a two-day total of seven-over-par (151). He logged a 79 on Tuesday after shooting an even-par, 72, on Monday.
With the conference championship clinched, Wilmington earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East/Atlantic Regional, which will be staged in early May.
2019 CACC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
1. Enrique Valverde (Wilmington University), +3 (147)
2. Tyler Cleaves (Wilmington University), +5 (149)
T3. Gonzalo Moreno (Goldey-Beacom College), +6 (150)
T3. Pablo Saenz Avila (Goldey-Beacom Colelge), +6 (150)
5. Shawn Mayer (Chestnut Hill College), +7 (151)
ABOUT THE CACC
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference composed of 14 institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The member institutions are Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Concordia (N.Y.) College, Dominican (N.Y.) College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University), Nyack College, Post University of Waterbury, University of the Sciences, and Wilmington University.