Following their third-place finish in the Empire 8 Fall Championships, the men’s golf team began their spring season on April 13 and 14 at the Hershey Country Club, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the Empire 8 Championships.

Thanks to Nathan Macdonald and Neil Roman’s leadership during the fall portion of the season, the team is off to a phenomenal start. In two different events, each shot 77. At the Oswego Fall Classic, Macdonald shot 77, while Roman shot 77, five shots over par, at the SUNY Canton Fall Invitational.

Finishing eighth and ninth in the rankings, Carter Lathrop and Adam Woodmansee were chosen for the Empire 8 Second Team All-Conference. Lathrop shot a 78, while Woodmansee and partner Roman had an 81. Other scorers included Avery Sturtz with 86 shots, Blake Holmes with 90 and MacDonald totaled 84. 

Freshman Aydin Parekh said the key to success this season is finding a balance. 

“Golf is such a mental sport, it’s important not to be too confident while also having the confidence to trust yourself to hit good shots.”

​​To kick off the spring season, the team finished fourth on the first day of the championships. After one round, Macdonald, who remains in the lead, was Utica’s tomorrow performer and tied for sixth place with three other players. With an 87, 16 over par, Kimball Johnson sits in 12th position. Woodmansee fired an 88 to end the first round in 16th place followed by Roman in 18th. With a 92, 21 over par, Parekh completed the round and Joey Bagnato finished with a 106.

“For this season, I am just trying to continue to grow as a golfer, and as a competitive golfer. As a freshman, I have not played in a ton of tournaments, so the competitive golf scene has been a new challenge for me.” Parekh said. “I just want to keep getting better each day and see where that gets me. I have belief in my game and hopefully, I can continue being consistent and put together some good rounds this spring” 

To conclude the championships on Sunday afternoon, with 1,328 strokes, Utica finished third overall among the seven teams. 

Macdonald stayed on top as Utica’s top performer as he shot 77, six over par, to finish fifth overall at the Championships. With 88 strokes, Woodmansee finished in 12th place overall. Parekh finished in 21st place with 92 strokes, Roman scored an 89, Bagnato finished with a 106, and Johnson concluded in 19th place with an 87. 

The Pioneers will travel to Oswego on Saturday, April 27 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, April 28 at 10:30 a.m. for the Oswego Spring Invitational. 

Head coach Brian Marcantonio remains confident in his team and predicts they should be able to contend for the league title in 2025.

“We have a solid mix of experience and talent. we’re really focused on the short game and making good decisions off the tee,” Marcantonio said. “Those are the two biggest things. Make good decisions off the tee, be aggressive when you can and then score with your short game.”