The Falcons after their final round at the NCAA's. From left, Ellis Yoder, Doug Kulikowski, Tommy Ethier, Chris Simione
The Falcons after their final round at the NCAA's. From left, Ellis Yoder, Doug Kulikowski, Tommy Ethier, Chris Simione

Simione Shoots a 75 as Bentley Concludes Play at the NCAA Division II Championships

DANIELS, W.V. – With senior Chris Simione (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire HS) shooting a team-best 75 during the third and final round, the Bentley University Falcons concluded play in the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships 17th among 20 teams Wednesday at The Resort at Glade Springs.

Bentley had a final day 307 and concluded the 54-hole event at 909. The Falcons were second among the three East Region programs in the field and finished ahead of two teams that were ranked in the top 40 entering the championships, number 10 Sonoma State and number 31 Ferris State.

The Falcons' top golfer in the championships was sophomore Tommy Ethier (Nashua, N.H./ Bishop Guertin HS), who tied for 62nd in a field of 108 with an eight-over 224. He turned in a final round 76 after shooting 79 and 69 in his previous two rounds. Ethier, who finished the season with a team-best 75.2 stroke average, totaled 11 birdies during the three rounds.

Simione was Bentley's number two finisher in the NCAAs with his 13-over 229 edging teammates Ellis Yoder (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead HS) and Robert Falconer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./ Cumberland Valley HS) by a stroke. Simione finished 82nd and both Yoder, a sophomore, and Falconer, a junior, tied for 83rd.

Yoder shot a final round 77 and Falconer followed with a 79.

Rounding out the Bentley lineup was senior Doug Kulikowski (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon HS), who closed with an 80 and tied for 101st with a 240 total.

Barry University, the top-ranked team in the country, finished the stroke portion of the tournament in first, with an 18-under 846 and is one of eight to advance to the match-play portion of the championships.

Florida Southern's Micharl VanDerLaan captured the individual national championship with a nine-under 217 after turning in a final round 66. He finished two strokes in front of Barry's Jorge Garcia. Sam Broadhurst (Lincoln Memorial), the leader after day two, dipped to a final round 75 and finished in a tie for sixth.