Guilford Goes in Search of Repeat Crown

FOREST, Va. --- The Old Dominion Athletic Conference golf squads hit the links this weekend to determine the 2012 championship held at Bay Creek Resort in Cape Charles, Va. This year marks the fifth consecutive year the championship has been contested on Bay Creek’s 6,987-yard Palmer Course. The eight conference teams start championship play on Sunday, April 22. The tournament is a 54-hole event that concludes Tuesday afternoon April 24.

Returning champion Guilford College, ranked second in the latest GCA Coaches' Poll, leads ODAC teams into this season's competition. The Quakers return last year’s ODAC Golfer of the Year, Noah Ratner, who has amassed an impressive 72.1 scoring average through 20 rounds this season. Ratner is complimented by a number of strong Quaker golfers in Dusty Roberts, Mitch Robinette, Drew Thomson and Nick Shedd. Head coach Corey Maggard has led Guilford to four tournament titles this season, including an impressive championship showing at the TaylorMade adidas Intercollegiate in March. GC averages 297.8 strokes per round entering the conference championship.

Bridgewater College is ranked second in the conference scoring averages, posting a 303.6 stroke average. The Eagles are led by Travis Gahman, who ranked fourth in the conference with a 75.1 stroke average. John Phillips is a close second with a 75.2 average and one first-place finish on the season. BC finished runner-up to Guilford at last year’s championship, 13 strokes off the pace. The Eagles have one ODAC championship to their credit, capturing the 2010 title at Bay Creek.

Hampden-Sydney sports a strong roster featuring Rick O’Connell and the league's second-best scoring average at 72.8 strokes per round. Senior Ronnie Fultz ranks second on the squad with a 75.5 average.  The Tigers have two team championships on the season – both in the fall. H-SC finished third in last year’s ODAC Championship with a total of 924.

Keep your eyes on several other individual players, including Roanoke College's Brandon Ketron and Randolph-Macon College's Kyle Fuller and Hunter Weaver.  Ketron has been solid for much of the 2011-12 campaign with a pair of top-five showings in the fall and a top-10 finish in the spring's final event leading up to the championship.  Fuller has put together a solid resume in his first year at R-MC, including a tie for fourth at the Ted Keller Memorial in October.  Weaver came on late for the Yellow Jackets as he tied for medalist honors at the Roanoke Invitational last weekend.

In addition to the tournament, the conference will release the All-ODAC golf teams following its presentation at the championship event this weekend.

For more information, including team lineups and the official scorecard, go to the ODAC's golf championship website at www.odaconline.com/tournament/spring/golf.