SUFFERN, N.Y. – The Felician College men's golf team was one of nine complete squads to participate in the Charger Challenge, hosted by Dominican (N.Y.) College at Spook Rock Golf Course, on Sunday and Monday. The Golden Falcons and their competition were forced into a grinding style when each day brought a varying form of inclement weather.
Sophomore No. 3 man Kevin Berdnik (Clifton, N.J./DePaul Catholic) was the only Felician player who improved his score from Sunday to the much more treacherous conditions on Monday. But the Golden Falcon who most embraced the grind was Berdnik's classmate, team No. 1 Andrew Geesey (Red Lion, Pa./Dallastown Area).
On the 6,806-yard course, Geesey persevered through a steady mist on Sunday to produce a five-over-par 77. With a pervasive wind and slightly heavier rain present on Monday, he fired a 79 for a tournament total of 156 (+12). He tied for 14th place out of 55 entrants and was the only Golden Falcon among the top half of the field.
Geesey is averaging 76.8 for the season and has broken 80 in all five of his rounds.
Freshman Justin Rasmus (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) is steadily emerging as Felician's No. 2 man. Rasmus shot 82-86-168 for the weekend and tied for 40th place, lowering his season average to 85.6. Berdnik finished 46th with 89-88-177.
Rounding out the starting line-up were senior Chris Zito (South Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) (T-47th, 83-86-179) and junior Jordan Tackett (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) (49th, 89-94-183). The Golden Falcons (331-347-678) settled for a ninth-place result in the team standings, ending up 20 shots behind the eighth-place College of Saint Rose.
Bentley University won the championship with 297-303-600, scoring 10 strokes better than runner-up Concordia (N.Y.) College. Concordia junior Eutimio Fernandez-Meade was the medalist with 75-68-143 (-1).
The Golden Falcons next participate in the Saint Rose Fall Shootout on Friday and Saturday in Guilderland, N.Y.
