GREENSBORO, NC – The Penn State Behrend men's golf team is tied for 31st place out of 41 participating institutions at the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Lions carded a team score of 318 and are 33 strokes behind the leader after day one, Schreiner University. Methodist tallied a 286 to sit one stroke out of first and La Grange is in third with a score of 290.
Dante Vetica (Hermitage, PA/Kennedy Catholic) was the ace for Behrend on day one, finishing three over par with a 75. The junior birdied three holes, including two on the front nine (38) and once on the back (37). With that score, Vetica is tied for 62nd place heading into round two.
Scott Klein (Fairview, PA/Fairview) was second on the team and tied for 130th overall with a 79 total for 18 holes. He started strong with back-to-back birdies to collect a 40 on the front nine and posted a 39 on the back.
Finishing +8 on the west course, Nicholas VanDamia (Erie, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) registered an 80 thanks to a 38 going out and 42 coming back to put him tied for 141st place. He birdied holes four and eight leaving him two-over par on the front nine.
Competing in their first NCAA Tournament, Roman Klaric (Hermitage, PA/West Middlesex) and Brian Ropiecki (North East, PA/North East) were the final two golfers to make up the Behrend team. Klaric carded an 84 (45-39) while Ropiecki recorded an 88 (45-43) and was able to birdie the second hole like Klein.
The Lions tee off tomorrow morning at 8:15 a.m. for round two of the championships. Behrend must finish in 18th place or better to move onto the final round.
