CLARION LOOKS TO REPEAT PSAC GOL

CLARION LOOKS TO REPEAT PSAC GOLF TITLE OCTOBER 14-15

The PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) will present its first team championship of the 2006-2007 season this weekend when eight golf teams travel to Wren Dale Golf Club in Hummelstown, Pa. to battle for the team title. The 36-hole event will be held at on Saturday October 14 and Sunday October 15.

Clarion enters the PSAC Championship looking to successfully defend the title it won last year. Head coach Al Lefevre, in his eighth season leading the Golden Eagles, has had tremendous success leading the program. He has led Clarion to two PSAC Crowns (2002, 2005), plus three second place finishes (Fall 2004, Spring 2004 and 2003), after winning the crown in 2002. Clarion has also been to the NCAA Division II East Regionals each of eh last 5 seasons and finished second last Spring.

"We have a veteran team that knows what it has to do to prepare for this weekend," said Lefevre. "We’re capable of defending our title, but we haven’t been as consistent as I’d like us to be up to this point. I think any of four teams are capable of winning the title, including IUP, Cal and Millersville. The team race could easily come down to the final holes."

Last year Clarion rallied on the second day to take the team title at Wren Dale Golf Club. Clarion shot a 604 to win the event, while IUP was second with a 608 and West Chester third at 621. Rounding out the field was fourth place Millersville (616), fifth place Slippery Rock (640), sixth place California (men) 646, seventh place California (women) 689 and eighth place Kutztown (women) 691).

In 2004 Clarion and Millersville tied for the team title with 620 scores. The tie breaker used the fifth player’s score of each team to break the tie, and Millersville gained the title. Slippery Rock was third with a 622, IUP fourth at 626, West Chester fifth with a 627 and Kutztown’s women scored a 647.

Three years ago at Hawk Valley Golf Club in Denver, Pa., IUP won the team title with a score of 599, while Clarion was second at 609, Millersville third with a 610, West Chester fourth with a 622, Slippery Rock fifth with a 630 and Kutztown’s women’s team was sixth with a 700.

Millersville won the team title in 2003 with a score of 625, only one shot better than Clarion who posted a 626, while IUP was third with a 633. West Chester finished fourth with a 634, Slippery Rock fifth at 655 and Kutztown’s women sixth with a 741.

Clarion won the team title in 2002 with a 605 team score, six shots ahead of Millersville who had a 611 and IUP and West Chester who tied for third with a 616. Slippery Rock was fifth at 633 and Kutztown sixth with a 770.

Clarion’s lineup will have Justin Moose (Jr. N. Huntingdon - Norwin), Justin Scott (Sr.. Monroeville - Gateway), Tom Will (Sr. Erie -McDowell) and Preston Mullens (Jr. Emporium - Cameron County) and either Nick Brucker (So. Apollo - Kiski) or Justin Cameron (So. Punxsutawney).

Moose is Clarion’s #1 man. He was medalist at PSAC’s last year with a 150 and won a playoff on the second hole. The PSAC "Player of the Year" in 2005-06, he was third at the D-II East Regional last year firing a 54-hole score of 225. This Fall he was medalist at the Bearcat Invitational (71) and tied for first at the Hal Hansen (69,73-142) before losing the playoff. He was 23^rd at PSAC’s in 2004 with a 164.

Scott tied for 5^th a year ago at PSAC’s with a 152.. His second day 73 led the way for the Eagles to win the title. So far this Spring he was medalist at the Hal Hansen Invitational with a 142, winning the playoff. His 5-under 67 on the first day tied a school record. Last Spring at the D-II Regionals he was 21^st with a 54-hole 236. In the Spring 2005 season he was fourth at the NCAA Division II Regionals at Pine Barrens G.C. with a 222 (77, 72, 73). In the Fall 2004 PSAC Championship he earned All-Conference honors placing sixth with a 152. He tied for 11^th at the Spring 2004 PSAC Championship with a 155 (81, 74) and was Clarion’s top golfer at the NCAA Regionals with an 11^th place showing (72, 79, 81).

Will meanwhile, has been a consistent performer for the Golden Eagles. Last year at PSAC’s he finished third with a 76,75 - 151. Last Spring at the D-II Regionals he was 9^th with a 232, earning All-Region honors and won the Slippery Rock Invite with a three-under 67. He placed 10^th at PSAC’s in 2004 with an individual score of 158. At the Spring 2004 PSAC’s he placed 16^th with a solid 77, 80 - 157 total. This Fall Tom was 16^th at the Hal Hansen (150), 4^th at he Westminster Invite (76), and was a consistent 149 and 153 at the Ohio Valley and Wheeling Jesuit Invitationals.

Mullens, who didn’t play at the PSAC’s a year ago, has played in some big tournaments. He played in the D-2 Regionlas last year, and after an opening round 90, bounced back for a 77, 78 on the final two days to help the Eagles. This Fall he was 6^th at the Wheeling Jesuit Invite with a 149, and 16^th at the Hal Hansen in Clarion with a 150. Last Spring he was third at the Allegheny Invite with a 147.

Brucker or Cameron will be making their first trips to the PSAC Tournament. Brucker this Fall has fired a 150 at the Hal Hansen, 152 at Wheeling Jesuit and a 159 at Ohio Valley. Cameron shot a 150 at the Hal Hansen, and last Spring at the SR Invite he was 5^th overall with a 72.

CLARION NOTES: Other top PSAC returnees include West Chester’s Jared Miller (T-8th) and Matt Sullivan (T-8th), and Millersville’s Pete Steffy (T-5th) and Bob Bee (T-5th). Cal will likely be led by Jon LaDovico, Elliott Wilton and Robert Jewell... IUP which won the Ohio Valley tournament with a blazing 295, 280 - 575, will be led by Cory Stelick, Gavin Smith, and Nick Milito... Stelick had a 4-under 138 at Ohio Valley to win medalist honors... Team tie breaking rule this year ... In the event of a team tie for first, all five players from each team will play the first hole... The team with the lowest 4 combined scores wins ... If the teams are still tied, another hole is played until the tie is broken... The title won by Clarion in 2002 was Clarion’s first PSAC Golf title since 1982 ... That team was coached by former A.D. Frank Lignelli, and featured captain Joe Boros who is currently the Head PGA Professional at Treesdale C.C. in Pittsburgh and a 1999 Clarion Sports Hall of Fame Inductee.