GROTON, Conn. -- Three Eastern Connecticut State University golfers shared medalist honors by finishing at 3-over par 74 and senior Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) guaranteed the Warriors the team title by shooting 12-over 83 and placing eighth as the Warriors won the Mitchell College Invitational in the fall season for the fourth time in five years Wednesday at the 6,562-yard Shennecossett Golf Club.

In a field of 15 golfers, senior Nick DiNino (Glastonbury) and juniors Ryan O'Donnell (Southington) and Ethan McDaniel (Orange) shared first place and Napolitan slid into eighth place as the team's No. 4 finisher that allowed the Warriors to hold off the charge of runner-up Albertus Magnus College. Eastern's four scoring golfers combined to shoot 21-over 305. Albertus, which filled in at 4-5-6-7 behind Eastern's medalists, finished seven shots off the pace with a 28-over 312. Host Mitchell (96-over 380) finished last in the three-team field.   

Junior Eliyaan Shakeel (West Hartford) was Eastern's fifth finisher, shooting 16-over 87 to place tenth overall.

DiNino and Shakeel were among Eastern's five entrants for the first time this year.

The fall invitational team title is the first this year for Eastern and the 15th overall in the program's six-year history. In a span of three years between 2021 and 2024, the Warriors captured 12 fall team titles (four each year), including three Little East Conference championships. 

Only McDaniel managed to shoot par or better on either the front or back nine. DiNino shot 1-over 35 on the front nine and 4-over 39 on the back; McDaniel even par on the front and 3-over 38 on the back; O'Donnell 2-over 38 on the front and 1-over 36 on the back; Napolitan 7-over 43 on the front and 5-over 40 on the back; and Shakeel 10-over 46 on the front and 6-over 41 on the back. On the day, DiNino carded two birdies (on the front nine) and 12 pars; McDaniel four birdies and nine pars; O'Donnell two birdies and 11 pars; Napolitan nine pars and Shakeel eight pars. 

The Warriors close out the fall season by competing in the LEC Championships next  weekend (Oct. 9-10) at The Redding (CT) Country Club and the 90th NEIGA Championships Oct. 18-19 at The Captains Golf Course at Brewster, MA. Eastern won the LEC Invitational in the fall of 2020 and following up by winning the first three official LEC Championship tournaments the next three years before placing second to the University of Southern Maine last fall.

 

Round 1			Total	Today	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	IN	RD
					345 4	384 4	397 4	208 3	565 5	421 4	431 4	490 5	175 3	3416 36	425 4	385 4	125 3	353 4	418 4	195 3	400 4	345 4	500 5	3146 35	6562 71
T1	-	Nick DiNino	+3	+3	4	3	4	3	5	5	4	4	3	35	4	4	3	4	5	3	5	6	5	39	74
T1	-	Ethan McDaniel	+3	+3	4	5	5	3	5	3	4	5	2	36	5	7	3	4	5	2	4	4	4	38	74
T1	-	Ryan O'Donnell	+3	+3	4	4	5	4	5	4	5	4	3	38	5	4	3	5	3	3	4	4	5	36	74
8	-	Jake Napolitan	+12	+12	6	5	5	4	5	4	6	5	3	43	5	4	3	6	5	3	5	4	5	40	83
10	-	Eliyaan Shakeel	+16	+16	4	5	6	4	8	6	4	6	3	46	6	4	3	5	5	5	4	4	5	41	87