The Iona University men’s golf team ended their 2024 spring season after competing in the ABARTA Collegiate Invitational and MAAC Championship.
After the Gaels played in five matches from March 29 – April 7, including a trio of MAAC sets, against Manhattan College, Mount St. Mary’s University and Siena College.
Starting with the ABARTA Collegiate Invitational from April 14-15, Iona posted respectable numbers in the 13-college, 36-hole competition. The program finished in a solo fourth place among the other schools.
Senior Fletcher Wunderlich was Iona’s top performer on the day, shooting a 72 in round one and a 72 the round after. Overall, Wunderlich was –1 for the entire tournament, solidifying himself a personal top-five finish. He was also one of seven golfers to shoot under par for every hole.
MAAC opponents like Mount St. Mary’s, Rider University, Fairfield University and Canisius College competed as well, but it was the non-conference Lehigh University that won it all with a total score of 572.
Prior to Iona’s arrival at Disney’s Palm Golf Course for the 2024 MAAC Championship, five Gaels – Zach Baldwin, Fletcher Bolda, Finnigan Davies, Connor Henderson, Parker Smith and Michael Sosik – were named to the 2023-24 MAAC Men’s Golf All-Academic Team. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have completed two semesters at Iona and hold a GPA between 3.2 and 4.0.
On the first day of the MAAC Championship, Iona tied for fourth place with Manhattan. They only sat eight strokes behind the leading college, Siena, by the end of the afternoon, owning a score of 293.
Additionally, Sean Richards, Henderson and Wunderlich were the three Gaels that ranked within the top-13 of performers on day one.
Wunderlich kept his hot streak going on day two, posting the Gaels’ best round at four-under par, and helping his team finish seven strokes better than the previous day. Iona remained in fourth place, tied with Rider this time.
Iona’s consistency remained on the final day of the tournament, sitting as the sole team in fourth place, behind Rider, Fairfield and Siena.
Smith ended day three as Iona’s best player, shooting even par across the three sets. He was one of four Gaels within the top-20, ranking 11th. Other performers were Richards, Wunderlich, Henderson and Sahir Balyan, in 38th place.
Iona is done with their 2024 spring schedule, but the 42nd Annual Iona Athletics Golf Outing, which is open to a limited number of foursomes and supports the Iona Athletics fund financially, returns to the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle on June 3.
