In the second year of its rejuvenated golf program, GCC found itself at the 2011 NJCAA Golf Championship held at the Chautauqua GC in Chautauqua, New York, June 6th through 10th, 2011.
The NJCAA Golf Championship field included 87 collegiate golfers representing 31 colleges from 12 states. All teams attending got there by virtue of finishing first or second in their respective Regional Tournaments.
Thirteen teams competed for the Team National Champion Team title.
In team competition, five players play and four scores count. The four day aggregate team score total determines the NJCAA National Team Champion.
Players on each team, as well as other players that qualified at regional’s, also competed for individual Medalist and NJCAA All-American honors.
In individual competition, the four day aggregate individual score total determines the winner (Medalist). In addition, the top 5 scores make All-American, 6 through 10 make Second Team All-American, and 11 through 18 make Honorable Mention All-American.
Including practice rounds and the four day tournament, the GCC Team played 108 holes of golf over a six day period, and had access to fantastic golf practice facilities at the course - which they utilized in the evening.
GCC capped off a very successful season considering the short time they’ve been in existence.
The team had a Top Four finish in the NJCAA Golf Championship, placed one player on the NJCAA First Team All-American Squad - Corey Kocent, Batavia NY, and placed another player on the Second Team All-American Squad - Kyle Harman, Orchard Park NY.
Remarkably, they bettered their season long team scoring average on each day of tournament play, but in the end a little more talent and a lot more experience prevailed, as MCC won their third consecutive national team title.
The two teams representing Region III, MCC and GCC, acquitted themselves well with both teams finishing in the top four.
Day by Day Tournament Summary
Day One, Tuesday June 7, 2011
After a two hour rain delay, tee times commenced under sunny skies at the Chautauqua GC to start the NJCAA Golf Championship. GCC players were matched against Georgia Military College, Milledgeville Georgia, and Ocean County College, Toms River, New Jersey.
The GCC team went off in the following order, Matt Ferdinand, Corey Kocent, Kyle Harman, Mark DeCook, and Alex Muench. At tee time the course was a bit wet but otherwise the conditions were excellent.
At the end of the day, GCC found itself in 1st place with a team score of 304, trailed by Cincinnati State Tech. and Community College and Rockland Community College at 306. Monroe CC shot 310. GCC’s Kyle Harman was tied for the individual lead with a career best 71, Matt Ferdinand shot 73, Corey Kocent shot 74, Mark DeCook shot 86, and Alex Muench shot 89.
Day Two - Wednesday June 8, 2011
GCC completed day two of the NJCAA National Golf Tournament on Wednesday June 8th sitting in second place, one stroke behind arch rival Region III competitor Monroe Community College. GCC added a score of 308 Wednesday for a two day total of 612. MCC led with 611, and Rock Valley CC sat at third with 613. Matt Ferdinand was in 2nd place in the individual standings, and Kyle Harman and Corey Kocent were in the top ten.
Day Three - Thursday June 9, 2011
GCC fired a 312 on Day Three of the Four Day NJCAA National Golf Tournament for a third place tie in the standings. Cincinnati StateTech. and Community College shot 299 for 919 total, MCC shot a 311 for 911, and GCC (312) and Rock Valley College (311) were tied for third at 924. GCC scores were Kyle Harman (74), Corey Kocent (75), Matt Ferdinand (80), Mark DeCook (83), and Alex Muench (85). Harman, Kocent, and Ferdinand remained in the top ten in individual scoring.
Day Four - Friday June 11, 2011
On the last day of the tournament, GCC played with Sandhills CC, Pinehurst NC, and Rochester CC, Rochester, MN. The GCC squad which performed great all week, probably felt a little tournament pressure due to inexperience, and posted a 316 score total for a top four finish.
Conditions were ideal, and MCC, which probably had the most talent of any team in the tournament, performed to their potential and shot a 294 - the best single day total of any team over the course of the tournament - to capture first place handily.
The top four finishing team scores were:
Monroe CC 310 301 311 294 (1216)
Rock Valley College 306 307 311 303 (1227)
Cincinnati State 306 314 299 309 (1228)
Genesee Community College 304 308 312 316 (1240)
The next closest team was 1262, so it was pretty much a four horse race each day.
Final GCC individual player tournament standings were as follows:
T 4 Corey Kocent 74 77 75 73 (299)
T10 Kyle Harman 71 79 74 78 (302)
22 Matt Ferdinand 73 74 80 87 (314)
44 Mark DeCook 86 78 83 78 (325)
T 67 Alex Muench 89 79 85 88 (341)
GCC will be fielding a good team next year with Corey Kocent returning , and Attica’s Chad Winkleman, Byron-Bergen’s Zach Hohn, and Oakfield Alabama’s Jon Bates on the squad. They’ll be joined by Ben Klotzbach, Rochester, NY, Jack West, Notts, England, and Chris Carroll, West Seneca, NY.
This year the GCC golf team set several team and individual records and got some tournament experience at the National level.
Next year they’ll be even hungrier.
