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University of Vermont captures Student Division of National Collegiate Golf Championship

University of Southern Mississippi Wins Faculty & Staff Division and Alumni & Community Division!

For Jeremy Appelbaum and David Grossman, the road to the Championship included a few more miles than most participants. The NCGC is made up of 30 Local Qualifying tournaments hosted by universities across the country. Teams must qualify to earn a berth into the National Championship. David, a Senior Political Science major from Linwood, NJ, and Jeremy, a Geology major from Ft. Lauderdale FL, had to drive over 300 miles from Burlington, VT to Kinston, RI for the University of Rhode Island Local Qualifier. With their score of 63, they qualified for the Championship in Las Vegas. Next stop, a 2,600 mile cross country trip for the National Championship.

The Championship Student Division was played at the Badlands Golf Course Desperado and Diablo 9's, and featured 27 two-person teams. Appelbaum and Grossman carded an eight under 64 to beat University of Iowa golfers Gardner Fuller and Eric Heinkel by a stroke, and Christopher Rumbaugh and Chris Sauvageot from West Virginia by two strokes. Click here for a complete listing of results.

"We had to prepare for this event with inside swinging and carpet putting as there has been some snow back in Vermont and the courses are closed down. We have not played golf in six weeks so it was fun to come out and see grass and avoid the snow." Asked if there was an advantage playing the course and being from the Northeast, Grossman stated, "We are used to the tight courses with all the trees up there. It's more open here, but you have the deserts so you still have to keep it straight. We'd like to thank the CGA, our Regional Manager and Rec Sports for the opportunity. We come from a program that was cut, so this provides an opportunity to go out and compete. We traveled pretty far, so we'll definitely celebrate tonight," closed Appelbaum.

An interesting side note for the University of Vermont golfers: The NCAA men's golf program was dropped a few years ago and both golfers are active in the Club Sports Golf Program.

Faculty & Staff Division: University of Southern Mississippi wins back-to-back National Championships

The winners of the Faculty & Staff Division were once again David Beckett and Kerry Geroux from the University of Southern Mississippi, shooting a net score of 74. Beckett and Geroux won the 2004 National Championship and needed a birdie on their 18th hole in their Local Qualifier to win the entry to the nationals by one stroke. Beckett and Geroux defeated Judy and Rick McNeil from Michigan State University by two strokes. Their experience playing in last year's Championship helped them finish with 3 birdies in the last 4 holes. Both are talking about a "Three-Peat."

Alumni & Community Division: Greg Howell and Anthony Lee from University of Southern Mississippi capture overall Championship

Greg Howell and Anthony Lee blew away the competition in the Alumni/Community Division, shooting a 64 to win by an impressive 8 shots over the second place team of Michael Nakunz and Wayne Spencer from California State University in San Bernardino.The team from Southern Mississippi tied the University of Vermont team for the overall Championship. As the 2005 Champions, Howell and Lee received a pair of round trip tickets from Southwest Airlines and a full return package to Las Vegas, plus an automatic entry to the 2006 Championships to defend their title. Both 2001 graduates in Business Administration, these Southern Mississippi alumni will be ready to represent their school in 2006.

Sponsors added excitement with prizes and packages for participants and winners. Selected airline travel was provided by Southwest Airlines, who also donated prizes at the course. Cutter & Buck outfitted players with golf shirts, and Almost Golf Ball was the official campus practice ball. The Hospitality room was sponsored by Advantage Fitness Products. Signage and Hole in One Insurance was provided by American Hole-in-One. Other sponsors included: Warrior Custom Golf, Sports Illustrated On Campus and Red Bull. Red Bull was a large part of the growth of the program. This year, Red Bull sponsored 9 Local Qualifiers through the Red Bull Final 5 competition (RBF5) and the Pairings Party held Friday night at the Ice House Lounge. The winners of these contests were awarded a full entry to the championship including round trip airfare. At the National in Las Vegas, the team of Chris Runbaugh and Chris Sauvageot from University of West Virginia carded four under par for their last five holes to win the RBF5 and received their choice of any Oakley sunglasses.

Mike Munson and Greg Long from CGA present Tom Kirch, Region VI Vice President, a check for $5,400 for the NIRSA Foundation.

The tournament was organized and facilitated by CGA. The NCGC is part of the National Campus Championship Series and an officially endorsed program of NIRSA. This year, over 900 golfers represented over 100 different colleges and universities. Portions of proceeds from the tournament benefited the NIRSA Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides opportunities for students through professional development, research, scholarships, and educational resources.

"I'm extremely proud of the partnerships that have facilitated the growth and success of the program," stated CGA's President and CEO Mike Munson. "The competitive atmosphere and social setting of golf that allows students, faculty, and alumni to compete for their university is truly outstanding."

The CGA currently serves as the premier on-line golf events and registration company for over 1,400 colleges and universities across the United States. For more information, email info@cgagolflinks.com or visit www.cgagolflinks.com.