BREWSTER, Mass. – The third time was the charm for Eastern Connecticut State University men's golf All-America
Ashton Lewis (Fairfield), who shot a 1-over par 145 over 36 holes to win the two-day New England Intercollegiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championship which concluded Sunday at The Captains Course.
Lewis had shared 11
th place in his first try at the championship as a sophomore in 2021 and last year had finished a stroke behind medalist Sean McGarrity of Middlebury College despite shooting 2-under 142.
As a team this year, Eastern finished seventh (among 20 teams) for the third straight year, with a combined total of 620. The Warriors were tied for third, ten strokes behind leader Husson after 18 holes Saturday. Husson finished 14
th as a team last year, but featuring two graduate students and three seniors, won by five strokes over runner-up Endicott College and by 17 over Eastern this weekend.
A team co-captain, Lewis entered play Sunday sharing the individual lead with University of Southern Maine senior Zach Ellsworth, both at 1-under 71. While Ellsworth was shooting 13-over 85 Sunday to finish in a tie for 29
th at 13-over 156, Lewis shot 2-over 74 and finished the tournament two strokes better than Colby Mitchell of Nichols College, Sammy Johnson of Roger Williams University and Cade Charron of Husson, who shared second place at 3-over 147.
On Sunday, Lewis birdied four holes and parred nine and overcame four bogies and a double-bogey. He parred or birdied seven of nine holes on the front nine and after a double bogie on No. 15, closed with a birdie and two pars.
In a field of 102 golfers, junior co-captain
Chris Davidson (New Milford) shared 19
th place at 10-over 154, junior
Matthew Orefice (Niantic) was tied for 35
th at 13-over 157, sophomore
Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) tied for 57
th at 20-over 164 and first-year player
Nico Coloneri (New Milford) was tied for 74
th at 27-over 171. Orefice, Napolitan and Coloneri were competing in the championship for the first time.
On Sunday, Davidson had a birdie, 12 pars and five bogies and Orefice collected 13 pars, four bogies and a double-bogie.
The tournament concludes Eastern's fall season, which included a third straight Little East Conference championship and additional first-place finishes at its own Warrior Invitational and at Mitchell College and at Westfield State University's Brett Williamson Invitational, as well as a share of fifth place among 22 teams at the Bowdoin College Invitational.
By winning the LEC title, Eastern qualifies automatically for the second straight year for the NCAA Division III national championships May 14-17 at Boulder Creek (NV) Golf Club.
