College Men’s Golf Results – Guilford Places 11th at NCAA Division III Championships

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – Guilford College junior Noah Ratner (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) earned his second straight PING NCAA Division III First-Team All-America honor Friday at the NCAA Division III Championships at Mission Inn Resort and Club. The Quakers’ junior received his award from the Golf Coaches Association of America after placing a team-high 12th among 210 contestants at the national championship.

Ratner is Guilford’s 14th two-time golf All-American, and the first two-time first-team pick since Dave Patterson ’05 in 2005. He joins Patterson and Andrew Biggadike ’02 as the only Guilford golfers to earn NCAA Division III First Team All-America honors.

Ratner helped coach Corey Maggard’s club place 11th among 41 teams with a four-day total of 300-295-306-306-1,207. Led by Ratner’s three-over-par 75, the Quakers shot their second consecutive round of 306 Friday on the par-72, 6,926-yard El Campeon Course.

Oglethorpe University led wire-to-wire for its second national title in four seasons. The Georgia school won by 20 strokes over second-place Transylvania University. Oglethorpe rookie Anthony Maccaglia also led throughout the tournament to win medalist honors over teammate Hayden Jones. Maccaglia shot three-over 75 Friday, but finished six under for the tournament and won by six strokes.

Ranked fifth in the May 16 Golf World/Nike Golf Division III Coaches’ Poll and ninth in the Golfstat.com Relative Rankings, Guilford was bidding for its fourth national golf title. The Quakers won the 1989 NAIA crown as well as Division III championships in 2002 and 2005. The Mission Inn Resort was the site of Guilford’s 2005 title run.

Guilford’s Nick Shedd (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette), one of the Quakers’ three freshmen making their NCAA Championships debut, turned in a 75 Friday. He rebounded nicely from Thursday’s 82 and made three birdies and no double bogeys Friday to match his lowest round of the week. Shedd shot 77-75-82-75-309 to finish 57th in his third varsity tournament.

Classmate Andrew Thompson (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) carded a 76 Friday and shared 47th place with a 73-76-80-76-305. Fellow rookie Mitch Robinette (Charlotte, N.C./Grace Academy) had the best finish of the three Guilford newcomers with a 74-73-77-80-304 that ranked 44th in the field. Senior Dusty Roberts (Reidsville, N.C./Rockingham County) closed out his college career in a share of 62nd place after shooting 76-79-77-80-312.

Maggard’s club, which won a school-record five events and was ranked first in the country this season, should be strong again next year. The Quakers lose Roberts and two other seniors, but return Ratner and six others with varsity experience.