Pitt-Bradford Men's Golf Wins 2018 AMCC Championship
WARREN, Ohio -- A season full of hard work and long days at the course paid off for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's golf team, as it captured the 2018 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championship at Avalon Lakes Golf and Country Club Monday, Oct. 8.
The 2018 title is the third in program history and the first since Pitt-Bradford won in back-to-back years in 2001 and 2002.
Additionally, Johnny Fiore became the first golfer in Pitt-Bradford history to win the individual medal at the AMCC Championship.
The Panthers began the second day of the two-day event in a tie with Pitt-Greensburg for second place with a score of 320. Penn State-Altoona entered the day with a two-stroke lead at 318.
But the Panthers rose to the occasion when it really mattered.
Pitt-Bradford cut 14 strokes from its day-one performance on the second day, firing a 306 to secure a comfortable conference title with a combined score of 626 -- nine strokes ahead of the AMCC Runner-Up Penn State-Behrend (635).
All five Panther competitors shot lower scores Monday than they did in the first round Sunday.
Fiore led all AMCC competitors in the two-day event, finishing the first day tied for the lead atop the conference with a 74 and securing the individual medal with a 72 Monday for a combined score of 146. His combined score was just two strokes over par for the event and four strokes better than the second-place finisher Chuck Panepinto from Medaille (150).
Not far behind Fiore was Cooper Cordova, who moved up the leaderboard with a 75 Monday to take third place overall at 153. As a result, Cordova earned a spot on the AMCC All-Tournament Team.
Matt Moonan was the next best Panther performer tied for 10th overall with a 159 combined score after shooting a 78 Monday.
Jamie Rook tied for 25th overall with a 168 combined and an 81 Monday, while Cary Ignaczak tied for 27th with a 170 overall and an 83 Monday.
With the conference victory, Pitt-Bradford earns the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships May 14-17, 2019, at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, KY.
Pitt-Bradford takes the conference title after back-to-back fourth-place finishes at the AMCC Championships.
The Panthers' victory snaps a streak in which Penn State-Behrend won the conference seven straight years.
Stauffer AMCC Coach of the Year Once Again; Fiore, Cordova, Ignaczak, Moonan All-AMCC Honorees
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's golf program received fitting post-season recognition from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference following its championship season.
Head Coach Keith Stauffer was voted AMCC Coach of the Year for the second-straight season, while junior Johnny Fiore earned a spot on the All-AMCC First Team. Junior Cooper Cordova was named to the All-AMCC Second Team, and sophomore Cary Ignaczak and junior Matt Moonan grabbed spots on the All-AMCC Third Team, conference officials announced Wednesday, Oct. 17.
"I'm so proud of these guys," Stauffer said. "They worked very hard all year, and more importantly, they are good ambassadors for our campus community. They brought Pitt-Bradford golf back to being serious contenders again. They made coaching very easy and a lot of fun this year. We now have to prepare for our spring season and the national tournament."
For Stauffer, this is the fourth time he has been honored as the AMCC Coach of the Year (2005, 2013 and 2017).
The four Panthers earning All-AMCC honors is the most for the program in a single season since 2002 -- the last championship year.
A native of Marana, Ariz., Fiore was the individual medalist for the 2018 AMCC Championships, the first in school history. The junior finished the first day tied for the lead atop the conference with a 74 and he secured the individual medal with a 72 on the second day for a combined score of 146. His combined score was just two strokes over par for the event and four strokes better than the second-place finisher and AMCC Golfer of the Year Chuck Panepinto from Medaille (150).
In addition to his standout performance at the conference championships, Fiore also tied for first at the La Roche Invitational (Sept. 18) and tied for second place at the Penn State-Behrend Invitational (Oct. 1).
A Tuscan, Ariz., native, Cordova was also at his best at the AMCC Championships. He shot his season low on the second day of the tournament (75) to finish third overall and earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Prior to the championships, the junior's regular season was highlighted by a victory at the Medaille Invitational (Sept. 13) with a score of 76.
For Ignaczak, this marks the second-straight season picking up All-AMCC honors, as he was a member of the Second Team in 2017. The sophomore was a consistent performer for the Panthers all season, earning four top-10 finishes, highlighted by tying with teammate Moonan for second place at the Penn State-Altoona Invitational (Sept. 15) with a score of 74. The Derby, N.Y., native shot a 170 at the AMCC Championships to tie for 27th out of the 44 total golfers overall.
Moonan has now garnered All-AMCC honors for three-straight seasons, earning spots on the Second Team in 2016 and Third Team in 2017. The Bradford, Pa., native's season was highlighted by winning the Mountain Valley Collegiate Classic, which combined scores from the Penn State-Altoona Invitational (Sept. 15) and Mount Aloysius Invitational (Sept. 16). Moonan's combined score of 148 -- shooting 74 both days -- fittingly earned him the AMCC Golfer of the Week nod on Sept. 17. At the conference championships, he shot a 159 to finish tied for 10th overall.
