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Navy Fall Invitational

September 7-8, 2002

 Spiker Places 13th as Blue Hens Open Season at Navy Invitational

 

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- Sophomore Daniel Spiker (Poolesville/Poolesville, MD) fired a 72 on Saturday and a 73 on Sunday to finish 13th overall to lead the University of Delaware men's golf team to an 12th place finish at the season-opening Navy Fall Invitational this weekend at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Course.

Winthrop took the team title in the 15-team event with a two-day, 36-hole total of 575, two strokes better than host Navy and Towson University who tied for second at 577. William & Mary was fourth at 580 while Georgetown was fifth at 582. The Blue Hens shot 309 as a team in the first round Saturday and improved to 304 Sunday for a two-day total of 613, just four strokes out of 10th place.

Spiker, who led the Blue Hens with a 76.92 stroke average as a freshman in 2001-2002, resumed his fine play with a 13th place finish, firing a three over par 145 to tie three other golfers.

Also for the Blue Hens, sophomore Kevin Exley was 40th (76-78=154), sophomore Mike Franzago placed 49th (82-74=156), junior Mike Hoffman was 57th (79-79=158), and junior Jerry Newell placed 74th (84-88=172).

Towson's Billy Wingard took medalist honors as he fired a two-day total of 137, good for five under par on the par 71, 6,611-yard course. Wingard won a playoff over Navy's Billy Hurley who also shot a 137. Winthrop's Matt Johnson was third (69-70=139) while Georgetown's James Farrah (71-69=140) and Nick Cook (70-71=141) were fourth and fifth respectively.

The Blue Hens return to action Sept. 14-15 at the Towson University Invitational.

AGATE:

Final Team Standings: 1. Winthrop - 575; 2. Navy & Towson - 577; 4. William & Mary - 580; 5. Georgetown - 582; 6. McNeese State - 592; 7. George Mason - 601; 8. George Washington - 605; 9. Temple - 608; 10. Iona - 609; 11. Saint Joseph's - 610; 12. Delaware - 613; 13. Seton Hall - 617; 14. Navy Gold - 622; 15. Western Maryland - 651.

Top 5 Finishers: 1. Billy Wingard (Towson), 67-70=137 (won in playoff); 2. Billy Hurley (Navy), 70-67=137; 3. Matt Johnson (Winthrop), 69-79=139; 4. James Farrah (Georgetown), 71-69=140; 5. Nick Cook (Georgetown), 70-71=141.

Delaware Finishers: 13. Daniel Spiker, 72-73=145; 40. Kevin Exley, 76-78=154; 49. Mike Franzago, 82-74=156; 57. Mike Hoffman, 79-79=158; 74. Jerry Newell, 84-88=172.

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