Sports

Results: National Collegiate Golf Championship

Cal Poly Pomona overtakes University of Miami on last hole to capture the 2006 National Collegiate Golf Championship

Student Division

In a dramatic turn of events, Gianni Sacilotto and Bryan Sandoval of Cal Poly Pomona charged past the University of Miami team with a two-shot swing on the final hole. The pair shot a seven under score of 65 to win the 2006 National Collegiate Golf Championship (NCGC), held November 10-12 at The Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas. The fifth-year two-person scramble event, organized by the Collegiate Golf Alliance (CGA) and part of the National Campus Championship Series, showcased over 45 teams representing 35 different colleges and universities.

The victory for the Cal Poly Pomona team was a combination of steady play in harsh conditions and some timely luck. As Gianni Sacilotto and Bryan Sandoval were grinding out their eight birdies and one bogie, they were helped by the finishing hole for the University of Miami. In this shotgun start event, the Miami team finished on the par 3 12th hole which was playing 243 yards downhill into swirling winds. University of Miami’s Eric Covert and partner Curtis Easton teed up their final hole with a one-shot lead over Pomona. However, both Covert’s and Easton’s tee shots found hazards and they both missed 10-foot putts to save bogie and a tie, thus opening the door for Pomona to take the Championship.

“We got some momentum,” said Sacilotto. “We started birdie, birdie, and then four pars in a row, but then the ball started to roll. Not bad. We gave ourselves some good opportunities for birdies. We found out that it’s a lot easer to make birdies when you’re a lot closer to the hole!”

The NCGC is made up of 40 Local Qualifying tournaments hosted by universities across the country. Teams must qualify to earn a berth into the National Championship. Sacilotto, a junior from Diamond Bar, California, and Sandoval, a senior from La Habra, California, qualified for the Championship through the Cal Poly Pomona Local Qualifier with a five under victory score of 67.

The Championship round was played at The Revere Golf Club. Measuring 7,034 yards, a par-72 layout slope and rating of 126/72.8, the golfers were tested with a true challenge for the Championship. Of the field that featured 29 two-person teams in the student division, Sacilotto and Sandoval carded a seven under at 65 to beat University of Miami golfers Eric Covert and partner Curtis Easton (six under 66) by a stroke, and Nick Miller and Adam Tiedt from the University of Iowa, who shot a 67. For a complete listing of results, see the CGA website.

“We were pleased that we had the resources to be able to send our winning student team to the national tournament, said Sean Del Rossi, Cal Poly Pomona Recreation Director. “Involvement at the national tournament was what we were hoping for, as well as our representative team having a good time and experience. Winning the tournament was completely unexpected, but it was great to be able to showcase our students and what a smaller program is capable of.”

Gianni Sacilotto and Bryan Sandoval received a pair of round-trip tickets from Southwest Airlines, a full return package to Las Vegas and an automatic entry to the 2007 Championships to defend their title. 

Faculty & Staff Division

University of Western Kentucky wins National Championship in first year of competition

The winners of the Faculty & Staff Division were Gary Meszaros and Peter St. Pierre from the University of Western Kentucky, shooting a score of 69. Meszaros and St. Pierre were a late addition to the Championship, qualifying in a first-year event at Western Kentucky. In the Championship, Meszaros and St. Pierre carded a three under to defeat Mark Mallick and Nick Hernandez from UCLA by three strokes. 

“We birdied the first hole and went downhill from there with a few bogies, but we kept playing to have fun, and picked it up towards the end. The two kids that we played with were outstanding. We just played for fun and to be competitive was even better,” said St. Pierre.

“It worked out well; we ended up with six birdies and three bogies on a very tough, windy, cold course. It was enough to win,” stated Meszaros.

Alumni & Community Division

Greg Howell and Anthony Lee from Southern Mississippi repeat as Alumni & Community Champions

University of Southern Mississippi showed their power by taking the top two places in the Alumni & Community division. Greg Howell and Anthony Lee defend their 2005 championship by carding a three under at 69 to win by a stroke over the second-place team of Justin Cockrell and Dave Melancon, also from Southern Miss.

“We started out good. Greg hit some good shots and putted very well on the back nine,” said Lee. “When I hit a bad drive, he hit a great drive, and visa versa. He hit his irons really well today. I was pleased with the way we played. We made a few dumb bogies, but that’s golf,” he said.

“We’ve been really good friends for 15 years, and have been playing golf together for a while,” said Howell. “We’re going to work hard to qualify next year and get back here to go for three in a row.”

NCGC Local Qualifier Tournament Directors attend the National Championship

Eight of the 40 Local Qualifier Tournament Directors attended the Championship. From left: Linda Clauss, Stanford University; Bill Goa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Peter Koutroumpis, North Carolina State University; Sid Gonsoulin, University of Southern Mississippi; Cindy Otte, California State University, San Bernardino; Mike Munson, University of Southern California; and Mike Widen, University of Iowa. Not pictured: Damon Boze, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

More Winners

A number of contests were also held that allowed golfers to challenge themselves and their opponents for other victories:

In addition to the many contests at the NCGC, sponsors added excitement with prizes and packages for participants and winners. Airline travel was provided by Southwest Airlines, who also donated prizes given out at the course. Cutter & Buck outfitted the tournament with golf shirts and Almost Golf Ball was the official campus practice ball of the NCGC. The Hospitality Room was sponsored by Advantage Fitness Products. Signage and Hole in One Insurance was provided by American Hole-in-One. Other sponsors included: Warrior Custom Golf, Sports Illustrated On Campus and Red Bull. Red Bull has played an integral role in the growth of the program. This year, Red Bull sponsored 10 Local Qualifiers with the Red Bull Final 5 competition (RBF5) and the Pairings Party held Friday night at the Nellis Air Force Base. The winners of these contests were awarded a full entry to the championship including round-trip airfare.

At the National Championship in Las Vegas, the team of Nick Miller and Adam Tiedt from the University of Iowa carded four under par for their last five holes to win the RBF5 and received their choice of any Oakley Sunglasses.

A portion of proceeds from the 2006 NCGC program benefited the NIRSA Foundation. Mike Munson and Greg Long of CGA presented NIRSA Foundation Board member Dave Koch a check for $6,714.

“I’m extremely proud of the growth and success of the program,” stated Munson, CGA's President and CEO. “The collegiate atmosphere, competition, and the social aspect of the event are truly amazing.”