Men's Golf Wins 2024 MAC Commonwealth Tournament Championship
The York College men's golf team captured the 2024 Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth championship on Sunday as the Spartans shot 290 in the tournament's final round.
The Spartans trailed Stevenson by three strokes after day one but made a 13-shot improvement in the second round to win the team title by seven strokes. York finished the tournament with a team score of 593 as they shot 303 on Saturday and 290 on Sunday to clinch the title.
The title is York's second in the last four years. The Green and White won the 2021 tournament title and then finished second in 2022 and 2023.
Alvernia finished third at 609 followed by Hood and Albright in fourth at 615 while Eastern finished sixth at 625.
The Spartans were led by 2023 individual champion Gavin Ganter as he fired a tournament best two-under-par 70 on Sunday. Ganter finished tied for second, four strokes back of tournament champion Zachary Wilcox from Stevenson. Wilcox won the tournament's individual title with a two-day total of 144.
Ganter's round on Sunday featured eight pars and one birdie on the front nine. He shot one-under on the back nine with a 35 as he had three birdies, two bogeys and four pars. Ganter's top five finish is his second in his three-year Spartan career. He finished 17th as a freshman in 2022 and won the individual title in 2023.
Junior Matthew Salter and freshman Thomas O'Connell both finished one stroke back of Ganter. Salter shot 73 on Saturday and then shot 76 on Sunday. Salter shot a two-over 38 on the front nine with two birdies, four bogeys and three pars. He was two over on the final nine as he had two birdies, two bogeys, a double and four pars.
O'Connell made his first conference tournament a memorable one. He was two over on the opening nine and then was even on the back after a pair of bogeys and an eagle three to end his round on 18.
Ganter, Salter and O'Connell all earned first-team MAC All-Commonwealth honors.
Jason Velez was York's fourth finisher as he finished tied for ninth with a two-day total of 150. Velez shot 77 on Saturday and then came back with a one-over 73 on Sunday. Velez shot an even part 36 on his opening nine with seven pars, one birdie and one bogey. He was steady on the back nine with a one-over 37. Velez earned second-team MAC All-Commonwealth after placing tied for 17th as a freshman for the Green and White.
Jacob Fripp was York's fifth tournament participant as he was one stroke back of Velez with a two-day total of 151. Fripp shot 78 on Saturday and then made a five-shot improvement on Sunday with a one-over 73. Fripp was two-over on the front and was great on the back with a one-under 35 on the back as he finished 12th in the 30-player field.
The Spartans were fantastic on the back nine on Sunday. They combined to go one-over as a team. Ganter and Fripp were each one under. O'Connell was even while Velez was one over. Salter was two over as the Spartans overcame their opening round deficit to earn their second Commonwealth title.
The conference tournament championship is the fifth in the history of the men's golf program. The Spartans won Capital Athletic Conference championship in 2009, 2013, and 2019 in addition to their MAC Commonwealth titles in 2021 and 2024.
Head coach Jordan Koller and assistant Chris Bupp were named the MAC Commonwealth Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Spartans earn the MAC Commonwealth's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The four-day national championships start on Tuesday, May 14 at the Boulder Creek Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This story originally appeared on www.ycpspartans.com.
