By STEVE HARMON
Deputy EditorA Marquette University veteran stepped up and led his team to an upset victory in the Big East Conference men’s tournament this week in Hebron, Ky.
It just wasn’t the player whom Golden Eagles fans might have expected.
Ted Gray, often playing in the shadow of teammate Mike Van Sickle, led from start to finish for his first collegiate title. Gray shot 68-68-75 for a 5-under 211 total at Traditions Golf Club to win Tuesday by five shots.
The victory, and the NCAA regional team berth that goes with it, is a big step for Marquette in its quest for national recognition.
“This showed the guys that they can play with nationally ranked teams,’’ said coach Tim Grogan, in his 17th season at the Milwaukee university. “Some rounds, we just haven’t closed it out. But we’ve been getting better as the year has gone on.’’
That welcome home will be unprecedented for the Golden Eagles: This is the first Big East title in any sport since Marquette, a Jesuit university steeped in basketball tradition, joined the league in 2005.
Van Sickle, No. 38 in the
Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, has won a school-record six tournaments in his career, including the Ron Smith/USF Invitational March 2. He will be returning to NCAA regionals next month, this time with his team after having played as an individual last year.
“I’m thrilled that we’re going as a team,’’ said Van Sickle, a junior broadcasting communications major from Wexford, Pa. “We’ve got a legitimate shot.’’
Marquette had shown all season long that it could contend. Two victories in the fall preceded two runner-up finishes and a pair of fourth places this spring.
At Traditions, No. 75 Marquette opened an 11-shot lead through 36 holes and then held off No. 20 Louisville in the final round to shoot 874 and upset the Cardinals by two shots. Seton Hall was third at 887.
Gray, a communications major from Oshkosh, Wis., who expects to graduate in December, got a taste of what Van Sickle has gone through many times in his career: holding on to a lead.
After blistering the 7,103-yard Traditions course with 13 birdies in the first 36 holes, the tournament was Gray’s to lose.
“I just tried to play smart,’’ said Gray, No. 458 in the
Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. “It was pretty nerve-racking.’’
Van Sickle knows the feeling, and he was impressed with how his teammate has emerged.
“Ted has the potential to really play great golf,’’ Van Sickle said. “All year long he’s been playing really steady golf. He doesn’t make many bogeys. Once he gets a few under, it’s easy for him to keep it there.’’
Gray said he putted well during the first two rounds Sunday and Monday, and that was the difference as he opened a seven-shot lead after 36 holes.
“I made a lot of birdie putts that I hadn’t been making – everything inside 15 feet the first couple of rounds.
“But that seven-shot lead wasn’t as easy as I thought.’’
Keegan Bradley of St. John’s was second at 216, and Adam Rainaud of Louisville was third at 217.
Van Sickle tied for fourth with Notre Dame’s Doug Fortner and Seton Hall’s Kyle Morris at 219.
Final scores with relation to par from the Big East Championship, played April 20-22 at the par-72, 7,130-yard Traditions Golf Club in Hebron, Ky.:
TEAMS
| 1. Marquette |
291-288-295--874 |
+ |
10 |
| 2. Louisville |
296-294-286--876 |
+ |
12 |
| 3. Seton Hall |
294-297-296--887 |
+ |
23 |
| 4. Notre Dame |
296-295-298--889 |
+ |
25 |
| 5. St. John’s |
300-300-293--893 |
+ |
29 |
| 6. South Florida |
304-298-301--903 |
+ |
39 |
| 7. DePaul |
302-300-303--905 |
+ |
41 |
| 8. Georgetown |
302-308-298--908 |
+ |
44 |
| 9. Cincinnati |
301-302-306--909 |
+ |
45 |
| 10. Connecticut |
301-303-309--913 |
+ |
49 |
| 11. Villanova |
305-298-317--920 |
+ |
56 |
| 12. Rutgers |
307-309-322--938 |
+ |
74 |
| • • • |
|
|
|
INDIVIDUALS
|
|
|
|
| 1. Ted Gray, Marquette |
68-68-75--211 |
|
-5 |
| 2. Keegan Bradley, St. John’s |
71-72-73--216 |
|
E |
| 3. Adam Rainaud, Louisville |
74-75-68--217 |
+ |
1 |
| 4. Doug Fortner, Notre Dame |
73-75-71--219 |
+ |
3 |
| 4. Kyle Morris, Seton Hall |
73-73-73--219 |
+ |
3 |
| 4. Mike Van Sickle, Marquette |
72-74-73--219 |
+ |
3 |
| 7. Mike Bielawski, Marquette |
72-73-75--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 7. Derek Fathauer, Louisville |
76-70-74--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 7. Adam Hadwin, Louisville |
74-76-70--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 7. Tim Hager, Georgetown |
72-77-71--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 7. Tyler Hitchcock, So. Fla. |
76-73-71--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 7. Josh Sandman, Notre Dame |
71-72-77--220 |
+ |
4 |
| 13. Evan Beirne, St. John’s |
76-75-70--221 |
+ |
5 |
| 14. Greg Doherty, DePaul |
72-76-74--222 |
+ |
6 |
| 14. Dave Sampson, Seton Hall |
76-74-72--222 |
+ |
6 |
| 14. John Zur, Seton Hall |
71-75-76--222 |
+ |
6 |
| 17. Daryl Fathauer, Louisville |
73-74-76--223 |
+ |
7 |
| 18. Brett Bergman, Villanova |
73-74-77--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Cory Blenkush, DePaul |
71-77-76--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Alberto Fernandez, Cincinnati |
75-75-74--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Lewis Kirton, Louisville |
75-75-74--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Brian Travalja, UConn |
74-75-75--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Colin Van Es, Seton Hall |
74-75-75--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 18. Dustin Zhang, Notre Dame |
77-75-72--224 |
+ |
8 |
| 25. Conor Casey, Villanova |
75-74-76--225 |
+ |
9 |
| 25. Matt Dubrowski, UConn |
74-78-73--225 |
+ |
9 |
| 25. Raj Nahal, So. Fla. |
73-77-75--225 |
+ |
9 |
| 28. Joe Kastelic, Cincinnati |
74-75-77--226 |
+ |
10 |
| 28. Vincenzo Salina, Georgetown |
80-72-74--226 |
+ |
10 |
| 30. Jason Elliott, So. Fla. |
79-73-76--228 |
+ |
12 |
| 30. Kevin Velardo, St. John’s |
76-78-74--228 |
+ |
12 |
| 32. Will Cumberland, DePaul |
79-71-79--229 |
+ |
13 |
| 33. Kelly Kretz, Marquette |
83-73-74--230 |
+ |
14 |
| 33. Matthew McMahon, DePaul |
80-76-74--230 |
+ |
14 |
| 33. David Praet, Georgetown |
75-79-76--230 |
+ |
14 |
| 36. Mike Ballo, St. John’s |
77-79-76--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 36. Ryan Cahill, Cincinnati |
75-77-80--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 36. Colin List, Villanova |
76-75-81--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 36. Garrett Logan, Georgetown |
75-80-77--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 36. Jakob McKinley, So. Fla. |
76-75-81--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 36. A.J. Siekierski, UConn |
77-75-80--232 |
+ |
16 |
| 42. Dustin Schwab, Marquette |
79-81-73--233 |
+ |
17 |
| 42. George Zolotas, St. John’s |
77-75-81--233 |
+ |
17 |
| 44. James Arbes, Rutgers |
76-75-83--234 |
+ |
18 |
| 44. James Hilaire, Rutgers |
79-74-81--234 |
+ |
18 |
| 44. Greg Rodgers, Notre Dame |
75-81-78--234 |
+ |
18 |
| 44. Blake Tucker, Cincinnati |
82-75-77--234 |
+ |
18 |
| 44. Kane Volsky, Cincinnati |
77-79-78--234 |
+ |
18 |
| 49. Eddie Peckels, Notre Dame |
80-73-82--235 |
+ |
19 |
| 50. Robby Carl, So. Fla. |
80-77-79--236 |
+ |
20 |
| 50. Chris DeLucia, UConn |
76-76-84--236 |
+ |
20 |
| 50. Chris Frame, Rutgers |
79-80-77--236 |
+ |
20 |
| 53. JC Cardamone, Seton Hall |
80-77-81--238 |
+ |
22 |
| 53. Jordan Gibbs, Rutgers |
76-80-82--238 |
+ |
22 |
| 53. Nick Martin, DePaul |
80-79-79--238 |
+ |
22 |
| 53. J.F. Sorbella, Rutgers |
76-80-82--238 |
+ |
22 |
| 57. Pat Sherry, Georgetown |
80-80-80--240 |
+ |
24 |
| 58. Andrew Alexander, Villanova |
82-77-83--242 |
+ |
26 |
| 58. Doug Stadler, Villanova |
81-75-86--242 |
+ |
26 |
| 58. L.J. Tosches, UConn |
84-77-81--242 |
+ |
26 |
Posted: 4/23/2008
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