South Alabama’s Jack Hearn pulled a wire job, leading all the way to win medal honors in the Craft Farms Intercollegiate in Gulf Shores, Ala. The senior from Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary who plays out of Tramore Golf Club shot rounds of 67, 66 and 70 to finish the event 13 strokes under par and four in front of his nearest pursuer. The Jaguars also won the team trophy by 23 strokes.
“It feels pretty good,” Hearn said of his first win on the collegiate level. “Obviously, leading from the start and winning felt a little strange. I am usually chasing someone from behind to try and get the lead. So, it was a little different this time, leading from the very beginning. I think I managed it pretty well, though.”
“Jack played awesome,” said South Alabama Head Coach Ben Hannan. “The second round, he was flawless. [He] executed golf shots in pretty good wind. He made putts and took advantage of opportunities. He was really in control of his game all week. We couldn’t be happier for him.”
Ben Phipps of Luther College shot 69 in the first round of the Wartburg Invitational at Prairie Links in Waverly, Iowa. That left him just a stroke off the lead, going into the second and final round, which was never played due to a snow squall that blew in overnight. So, the senior from Ardee, Co. Louth finished the event tied for third place. Louis Anthony of Coe College shot 74 to snag a share of 20th place. He is a freshman from Belfast.
Jordan Logue of Mississippi College took down sixth place in The Trojan at Walnut Creek in Goldsboro, N.C. A junior from Belfast, Logue shot 70, 76 and 71 to finish as low man on the Choctaws at one stroke over par. He was five strokes off the winning score posted by Flagler’s Franco Piovano.
Wake Forest’s Mark Power tied for 22nd place in the Valspar Collegiate at the Floridian in Palm City, Fla. The junior from Kilkenny strung together rounds of 74, 70 and 67 to finish two strokes under par and 12 behind Pepperdine’s Dylan Menante, the medalist. Marquette’s Josh Robinson, a sophomore from Lisburn, Co. Antrim, was also on the course. He signed to rounds of 74, 79 and 67, which was good for a share of 61st place.
Rounds of 74, 73 and 70 got Tennessee Southern’s Shane Lillis a share of 13th place in the Spring Bulldog Bash at Canebreak in Athens, Ala. Lillis is a junior from Cooraclare, Co. Clare.
Max Kennedy and Jack Madden joined five others in 23rd place at the John Hayt Invitational at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Kennedy, a University of Louisville sophomore from Dublin, turned in cards of 72, 79 and 69, while Madden, an Arkansas State junior from Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, signed to rounds of 71, 73 and 76. That put them four strokes over par and 10 off the low number. Louisville’s Hugh O’Hare, a senior from Belfast, tied for 78th place after shooting 78, 83 and 76.
Hartford’s Conor Byrne finished joint-ninth in the Wintonbury Hills Invitational in Bloomfield, Conn. A sophomore from Strabane, Co. Tyrone, Bryne shot 75 and 70, leaving him seven strokes off the winning score belonging to Rhode Island’s Bryson Richards.
The Davis & Elkins duo of Jordan Hyland and Sean McAufield shared 16th place in the Mountain East Conference Spring Classic at Berry Hills in Charleston, W.V. Hyland, a junior from Belfast, shot 81 and 73, while McAufield, a freshman from Ardee, Co. Louth, countered with 78 and 76. At 14-over-par for 36 holes, they stood 13 strokes off medalist Alex Easthom of West Liberty.
Chattanooga’s Paul Conroy, a sophomore from Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, tied for 36th place in the Haskins Award Invitational at Forest Hills, in Augusta, Ga. He combined rounds of 71, 74 and 76, which put him five strokes over par and 22 in back of Texas’ Pierceson Coody, the runaway winner.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Maeve Cummins of Carson-Newman tied for 14th place in the Lady Bearcat Invitational at Greenwood Country Club in Greenwood, S.C. The senior out of Waringstown, Co. Down shot 78 and 74 in this 36-hole event to finish eight strokes over par and nine off the winning score of Lenoir Rhyne’s Megan Robb.
Aine Donegan, a freshman from Ennis, Co. Clare, was low scorer for Indiana in the Chattanooga Classic at Council Fire in Chattanooga, Tenn. She posted rounds of 75, 76 and 72 to earn a slice of 31st place among the 103 golfers who teed off here. At 7-over-par, she was 16 strokes off the winning score of Duke’s Anne Chen.
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Ava O’Connor of Adams State won the 800 meters at the Maverick Invite in Grand Junction, Colo. The freshman out of Mountmellick, Co. Laois uncorked a winning 2:11.02.
Alex O’Neill of Providence won the 800 meters at the Black & Gold Invitational in Smithfield, R.I. on Saturday. The sophomore out of Ennis, Co. Clare ran a winning 2:09.17.
Ava O'Connor was a winner at 800 meters for Adams State. [Photo by Josh Kutcher]
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Providence College freshman Michael Morgan of Sligo won the 1,500 meters at the Black & Gold Invitational in Smithfield, R.I. on Saturday. He broke the tape in 3:51.29.
James Dunne of Adams State took second place in the 1,500 meters at the Maverick Invite. The sophomore by way of Tullamore, Co. Offaly finished in 3:46.97 in a race won by teammate Miguel Coca in 3:46.10.
Another product of Tullamore, Aaron Mangan of Fort Hays State got fifth place in the 800 meters at the Central Nebraska Challenge in Kearney, Neb. on Saturday. He reached the finish in 1:52.98 in a race won by Wes Ferguson of Nebraska-Kearney in 1:47.80.
James Hyland of McNeese State got fourth place in the 3,000 meters steeplechase at the Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, La. A freshman from Dublin, Hyland was along in 9:33.51 in a race won by Davis Bove of LSU in 9:14.23.
There were a pair of top-10 finishes in the 5,000 meters invitational at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. Tulsa’s Michael Power, a junior from Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, took fifth place with a 13:29.57 clocking, while Portland’s Cathal Doyle, a Dublin junior, got ninth place in 13:38.01. Stanford’s Ky Robinson led the field home in 13;23.61.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
A win at first singles by Georgia Drummy enabled no. 14 Duke to upset no. 2 North Carolina State in Raleigh on Friday. Drummy, a senior from Dublin, defeated Jaeda Daniel, 6-4, 6-1.
Every point counted in Boise State’s Friday match in Reno against Nevada, including Shauna Heffernan’s victory at no. 6. The sophomore from Claremorris, Co. Mayo defeated Mathilde Sarcelet, 6-4, 6-3, to help the Broncos to a 4-3 triumph.
Anna Bowtell had the point locked down for Rice at fourth singles in matches against South Florida, a 4-2 win on Friday, and Florida International, a 4-3 loss on Saturday. The senior from Delgany, Co. Wicklow needed three sets to polish off South Florida’s Margriet Timmermans, 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-1. FIU’s Kristina Miletic was a 6-0, 7-6(8) victim.
Fourth singles is also where San Francisco’s Caragh Courtney was slotted against Portland’s Rimona Rouf. The senior via Castleknock, Dublin left the court a 6-4, 6-3 victor. The Dons were 4-0 winners in the Saturday match in Golden Gate Park.
Mercyhurst had no trouble with Seton Hill last Wednesday, cruising to a 7-0 victory in Erie, Pa. Freshman Roisin Murphy from Castlebar, Co. Mayo scored a 6-1, 6-0 victory at fourth singles over Julianna Begley. Murphy and teammate Kayla Dean also enjoyed a 6-2 win at first singles.
Presbyterian defeated Longwood, 6-1, in Clinton, S.C. on Saturday. Jessica Leeman, a senior from Belfast, produced a victory for the Blue Hose at second singles, 6-0, 7-5, over Karina Rizvanova.
MEN’S TENNIS
Fifth-ranked Tennessee defeated Arkansas, 6-1, in Knoxville on Friday, with Conor Gannon accounting for a point at sixth singles. The Dublin freshman took care of Aleksa Bucan, 6-0, 6-3.
Jonathan Garcia defeated Mikey Prokopis, 6-3, 6-3, at second singles to help Merrimack edge Holy Cross, 4-3, in Worcester, Mass. on Saturday. Garcia is a senior from Dublin.
Oisin Shaffrey won both his matches at no. 3 for Montana over the weekend. The Grizzlies treated visiting Idaho State to a 6-1 thrashing on Saturday, with Shaffrey taking out Andreas Kramer, 6-4, 6-4. In a 4-3 loss at home to Northern Arizona on Sunday, the Dublin senior staved off Maciej Ziomber, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
North Dakota toughed out 4-3 wins on the road over IUPUI on Thursday and Illinois State on Saturday. Belfast freshman Dylan Leeman was solid at no. 6, defeating IUPUI’s Canaan Sellers, 6-4, 6-4, and ISU’s Arvid Hjalte, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Belfast sophomore Cian McDonnell, slotted at no. 3, made a difference in the IUPUI match, defeating Colton Morehart, 6-2, 6-4. He came up short, however, against ISU, falling to Melker Isaksson, 7-5, 6-2.
