Rhode Island College Tabbed as GNAC Men’s Golf Pre-Season Favorite

BOSTON, Mass. – Rhode Island College has been predicted to repeat as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference champion in 2012, edging out the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth squad in the 2012 Pre-Season Coaches Poll by seven points. The Anchormen received a total of 78 points and six first place votes to hold the top spot heading into the fall season while the Corsairs finished second with 71 points and two first place votes. The University of Southern Maine rounded out the top three in the poll with 58 total points, earning the other first place vote.

Rhode Island College is looking for another strong season with all five starters returning in 2012. Senior captain Kyle Harper will again lead the team in hopes of retaining its GNAC crown. Junior Tim Leigh and sophomores Ryan Butler & Patrick Ford have gained experience and head coach Greg Gammell hopes they continue to provide a strong foundation. Several new freshmen and the all of other returning members of the team will battle for the final playing roster spots. Freshmen Jonathan Cooper and Pete Camerlengo could provide an immediate impact and hope to push last year’s team members to improve to hold their spots. 

The Corsairs look to bounce back after a third place conference finish a year ago.  The 2010 GNAC champions struggled with inconsistency last season but return a solid core and have some key additions.  Senior Matt Connolly looks to return to his 2010 form, where he finished runner-up to Joe Connor, the individual champion from JWU.  Connolly brings a wealth of experience and will be a major factor to the Corsairs success this season.  Fellow senior George Gillmore has been the most consistent golfer for UMass Dartmouth and will be called upon to continue that model this fall.  Junior Brendan Kelleher has battled the injury bug his first two seasons but looks to solidify a spot in the starting five after a strong finish last season.  Junior Brandon Oldham, a starter on the 2010 championship team, returns after a year off and has the potential to be a solid contributor each time he hits the links.  Freshman Jake Fryzel will add depth and could compete for a spot in the starting lineup.

The Southern Maine Huskies golf team will return two GNAC All-conference players in AJ Simolkaitis and Josh Hogan. They will lead a strong USM team for the fall 2012 season. John Gagliano, the Huskies No. 6 player from last year has had a strong summer and will compliment Simolkaitis and Hogan. Division I (Bryant) transfer, Aaron Bailey, should add some real depth to USM as well. Last season, the Huskies were a strong second place finisher in the GNAC tournament just 3 shots off the pace and finished 10th overall in the NEIGA tournament field of 44 teams. The team will prepare for an equally strong run this campaign. USM has the potential to field one of its stronger teams in recent years. 

Following the top three, Johnson & Wales University was next in the poll finishing fourth with 53 points coming in just ahead of Anna Maria College who finished fifth with a total of 49 points. Saint Joseph’s College (ME) earned 35 points in the poll for a sixth place showing with newcomer Worcester State finishing seventh with 25 points. Rounding out the GNAC poll was Suffolk University in eighth place with 22 points while Emmanuel College received 14 points in the ninth spot.

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III conference made up of 13 institutions with nine associate members. In 2012-13, the GNAC will sponsor championships in 17 sports for men and women. The GNAC also enjoys outstanding professional partnerships with Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine Division, Doubletree Hotels, Fenway Printers, New Balance, Reading Trophy and Presto Sports.