Temple University Athletics
JON RUSK CAPTURES A-10 INDIVIDUAL GOLF TITLE AS OWLS PLACE THIRD AT CHAMPIONSHIPS
4.21.02 | Men's Golf
Rusk is the seventh Temple golfer to win an individual A-10 golf championship and the first since Jim Sullivan in 1996. Current head coach Bill Mannino won the title in 1993. Other Owl duffers to take home the trophy inlude Josh Lewis (1995), Tom Vizza (1992), Geoff Sisk (1985-86) and Mike Brown (1982).
Rhode Island won the 2002 Verizon Atlantic 10 Golf Championship. It marked the Rams' fifth Atlantic 10 title and its first since taking back-to-back titles in 2000 and 1999. By virtue of winning the Championship, Rhode Island earns the Conference's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Golf Championship.
It was a cold and rainy day as Rhode Island finished the final 18 holes ten over par (292) but held on to first place with a nine under par three day score of 855. Finishing in second place was last year's champion, Xavier. The Musketeers had a three day total of 858, finishing the 54-hole championship six under par. Temple rounded out the top three with a three over par score of 866 over the 54 holes. The rest of the field included; St. Bonaventure (873), Richmond (877), George Washington (883), Saint Joseph's (889), Dayton (894), Duquesne (897), Fordham (924) and La Salle (949).
Finishing second in individual competition was Xavier's Matt Makinson (Coquitlam, BC) who was one stroke behind Rusk with a three-day score of 209 (70-71-68). David Spitz (Norwell, MA) of Rhode Island (71-67-73/211) and Neal Grusczynski (West Allis, WA) of Xavier (70-69-73/212) finished third and fourth, respectively. Finished tied for fifth with a three-day score of 213 were Temple's Gerry Chen (Union, NJ ) and Rhode Island's James Clarke (Belfast, N. Ireland).
Xavier Grusczynski was named the Rookie of the Year. Coach of the Year honors went to both Steve Campbell of St. Bonaventure and Tom Drennan of Rhode Island. It was Campbell's first honor and Drennan's third.
Temple's third place finish is the school's best since 1996, when it placed second. The Owls had finished in fourth place for five consecutive seasons from 1997-2001. Temple last captured the team title in 1995.
