The Gannon men’s golf team moved up one slot in the final round to finish 11th overall among 20 teams at the 2014 NCAA Atlantic/East Regional Championship Wednesday hosted by the Mountain East Conference (MEC) at the Edgewood Country Club. The Golden Knights shot a team score of 300 in the final round, taking seven strokes off their previous round. At the three-day championship, the Golden Knights shot a combined score of 910 (303+307+300).

Leading the Golden Knights, junior Jesper Jensen (Askim, Sweden/Hvitfeldtska Gymnasium) shot up the leaderboard to finish tied for 34th place with a final score of 224 (76+77+71). Jensen entered the final round tied for 58th before taking six strokes off his second-round score for his best showing at the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional.

Junior Sean Mahon (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville East) joined Jensen in moving up the leaderboard, climbing 14 spots into 44th place with a score of 226 (76+77+73).

Erasing two strokes off his second round score, freshman Daegan Wall(Regina, Saskatchewan / Dr. Martin Leboldus) improved in the final round to tie for 60th place with a final score of 231 (75+79+77). Junior Jon Marcson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Katrinelundsgymnasiet) remained tied for 65th place to conclude the championship, shooting a combined score of 233 (76+78+79). Sophomore Cameron Zbrzeznj (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) placed 69th with a score of 234 (76+75+83).

Indiana (Pa.) completed its climb up the leaderboard to take the top spot away from St. Thomas Aquinas. Each day featured a new leader at the regional championship. Indiana (Pa.) captured the regional championship with a combined score of 863 (294+274+295). Adding 30 strokes to their previous round score, St. Thomas Aquinas dropped back to second with a score of 869 (293+273+303).

Adelphi held onto third place with a score of 879 (293+288+298), as the University of Charleston (W.Va.) (292+296+291) managed to recover in its fall from second to fifth on the second day to tie Adelphi. After leading the field on the opening day, Le Moyne continued its slide to fifth with a score of 882 (286+296+300).

Among the six Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams competing, West Chester and California (Pa.) placed seventh (294+297+301=892) and eighth (297+298+303=898), respectively. Beyond the Golden Knights finish in 11th (303+307+300=910), Millersville and Mercyhurst followed closely behind in 12th (298+305+310=913) and 13th (310+307+301=918).

Jamin Smith of the University of Charleston (W.Va.) broke free from a two-way tie for second after the previous round to earn the individual title. Smith finished with a final score of 210 (69-70-71). Starting the day in fourth place, Louis Kelly of Adelphi finished as the runner-up with a score of 212 (70-70-72). After leading the field of 107 golfers through the opening two rounds, Zack Kempa of Indiana (Pa.) dropped to third with a final score of 213 (68-70-75).

The Golden Knights made a consecutive appearance at the national tournament for the first time since 1987 when the team made five straight beginning in 1983.