HERSHEY, Pa. --- The Moravian College golf team finished second at the 2014-15 Empire 8 Conference Championships after the final round was completed at the Hershey Country Club on Sunday, and freshman Tyler Smith was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year.
The Greyhounds had a team score of 324 in the final 18 holes of the four-round, 72-hole tournament that has the first two in September in Yahnundasis Golf Club in New Hartford, New York and the final two rounds this weekend in Hershey. Moravian had a four-round score of 1,267, finishing two strokes ahead of The University of Scranton for second place in the team standings. St. John Fisher College won the tournament with a 1,217 and earns the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Smith was the top freshman in the tournament, finishing in a tie for 10th place with a 72-hole total of 316 to also earn Second Team All-Empire 8 honors. Smith led the Greyhounds in the final round of with a 76 on the par 71 Hershey course. Junior Evan Dickinson also earned Second Team All-Empire 8 accolades as he finished in a tie for sixth among the 38 golfers to play all four rounds. Dickinson fired a 79 on Sunday for a tournament total of 312.
"Tyler and Evan both played well this weekend especially in today's windy conditions," commented Head Coach Kevin Edwards. "Evan really hung in there this weekend. Tyler played really well today. He is starting to gain confidence which is reflected in his recent scores. It was nice to hold off Scranton to finish 2nd in the conference which we can build on going into next season."
Freshman Kevin Kunkle was 12th in the tournament with a 320 after an 84 in the final round while junior Jim Maru was one stroke back in a tie for 13th at 321 with an 86 in Sunday's final round. Sophomore Dan Leppert was tied for 23rd at 339 after an 85 in the fourth round. Sophomore James Lobb just played in the spring rounds of the tournament for the Greyhounds and had a 95 on Sunday.
Moravian will close out its 2015 spring season on Monday, April 20 at the Franklin & Marshall College Spring Invitational at the Bent Creek Country Club.
