CHARLESTON, W.V. – The Bentley University golf team went out in style Wednesday, posting the day's best team score as the NCAA Division II East/Atlantic Regional concluded at the Edgewood Country Club.

Bentley's six-over-par 290, which featured a career-best 69 by junior Jon Stoddard (Duxbury, Mass./ Duxbury HS) and an even-par 71 from sophomore Malcolm Oliver (Damariscotta, Maine/Lincoln Academy), lifted the team to sixth place in the team standings, with the Falcons missing a trip to the nationals by only seven strokes.

Bentley improved each day of the three-day tournament (a claim no other team in the top 12 can make) and finished with a team score of 886, by far the best 54-hole score in program history. This was the fourth straight year the Falcons have competed in the 20-team regional tournament and they have improved each time, from 17th in 2011 to 13th in 2012 to tenth last year. The final round score was tied for the program's second best since 1997.

Oliver's 216 (74-71-71) was good for a tie for seventh as he climbed 12 spots during the final round with his second straight even-par score. In the 17 years that Golfstat has been tabulating results, it was the program's best 54-hole score by five strokes, surpassing Erik Swenson's 221 in the 2003 NCAA Regional.

Oliver birdied four of his first seven holes and was under-par until a bogey on his final hole of the tournament. He missed qualifying for the nationals by just two strokes.

Stoddard's two-under 69 lifted him into a tie for 19th (75-76-69-220) as he also bettered Bentley's previous best 54-hole score. Tied for 48th at the start of the day, his round included four birdies and just two bogeys.

Senior Harry Kirkpatrick (Lancaster, Mass./Nashoba Reg. HS) also had a strong final round as he closed out his collegiate career with a two-over 73, playing one-under for the final six holes. He tied for 38th place with a 76-76-73-225.

The team championship went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania with an 863, six strokes better than runner-up St. Thomas Aquinas.  Jamin Smith of the University of Charleston was the medalist, winning by two strokes over Louis Kelly (Adelphi) with a three-under 69-70-71-210.

A total of 20 teams and 107 golfers participated in the regional 

NCAA DIVISION II EAST/ATLANTIC REGIONAL
At Edgewood CC,C Charleston, W.V.
Final

Team Standings: 1. Indiana (Pa.) 294-274-295-863, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas 293-273-303-869, 3. Adelphi 293-288-298-879, 4. Charleston (W.V.) 292-296-291-879, 5. Le Moyne 286-296-300-882, 6. Bentley 299-297-290-886, 7. West Chester 294-297-301-892, 8. California (Pa.) 297-298-303-898, 9. Wilmington (Del.) 293-299-310-902, 10, Dowling 299-294-315-908, 11. Gannon 303-307-300-910, 12. Millersville 298-305-310-913, 13. Mercyhurst 310-307-301-918, 14. Southern New Hampshire 307-304-308-919, 15. Virginia State 309-308-308-925, 16. Concordia 307-314-309-930, 17. West Liberty 306-306-319-931, 18. American International DNF, 18. Nyack DNF, 20. Concord DNF.