BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell sophomore Sophia Bardunias and Lehigh senior Yuki Zhu earned Patriot League Co-Women’s Golfers of the Week leading into the Patriot League Women’s Golf Championship in Annapolis, Md., beginning Friday. Army West Point sophomore Tyson Sparks claimed Patriot League Men’s Golfer of the Week.
Bucknell’s Bardunias and Lehigh’s Zhu shared Patriot League Women’s Golfer of the Week honors after tying for 21st out of 88 golfers at the Rutgers Invitational, shooting 22-over-par 235 at the par-71 Rutgers University Golf Club in Piscataway, N.J.
Army West Point’s Sparks claimed his second Patriot League Men’s Golfer of the Week this season after shooting a 1-under-par 209 (70-70-69) to finish 26th out of a competitive field at the Ford Collegiate at the par-70 Ford Field and River Club in Richmond Hill, Ga.
Holy Cross freshman Leo Chu, Lafayette senior Harry Dessel and Loyola Maryland junior Diego Neira received honorable mentions for their performance last week.
Patriot League Women’s Co-Golfers of the Week
Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell, So., San Ramon, Calif./Monte Vista
*Bardunias tied for 21st place at the Rutgers Invitational by shooting a 22-over-par 235 (77-75-83) at the par-71 Rutgers University Golf Club in Piscataway, N.J.
*The sophomore helped the Bison to an eighth-place team finish, besting League rivals Lehigh and Boston University.
Yuki Zhu, Lehigh, Sr., Shanghai, China/Shanghai Pinghe School
*Zhu tied for 21st place at the Rutgers Invitational by shooting a 22-over-par 235 (83-77-75) at the par-71 Rutgers University Golf Club in Piscataway, N.J.
*Zhu shot a 4-over-par 75 in the final round to climb 22 spots in the individual standings.
Patriot League Men’s Golfers of the Week
Tyson Sparks, Army West Point, So., Muskego, Wis./eAchieve Academy
*Sparks shot a 1-under-par 209 (70-70-69) to finish tied for 26th out of 72 competitors at the Ford Collegiate, played at the par-70 Ford Field and River Club in Richmond Hill, Ga.
*He posted the Black Knights’ best 54-hole score in a tournament that featured nine programs ranked in the top 40, including No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Texas and No. 7 LSU.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Leo Chu, Holy Cross, Fr., Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale
*Chu tied for fourth place out of 87 golfers, shooting a 1-over-par 211 (72-72-67) at The Shark Invitational at the par-70 Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, N.Y.
Harry Dessel, Lafayette, Sr., Barrington, R.I./Moses Brown
*Dessel shot a 3-under-par 142 (75-67) to place fourth out of 98 golfers at the ABARTA Coca-Cola Invitational at the par-72 Northampton Country Club in Easton, Pa. He helped the Leopards to a first-place team finish.
Diego Neira, Loyola Maryland, Jr., Caracas, Venezuela/Yale College
*Neira finished at 1-over-par 214 (69-73-72) to tie for 33rd out of 72 competitors at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial at the par-71 Birdwood Golf Course at Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, Va.
Men’s Golfer of the Week
9.11 – Noah Zyung, Lehigh
9.17 – Chip Deegan, Navy
9.24 – Jack Tarzy, Navy
10.1 – Alex Hill, Colgate
10.8 – Ronav Benak, Colgate/Jake Roth, Lehigh
10.15 – Brayden Dock, Colgate
10.23 – Jack Tarzy, Navy
10.29 – Ryan Cronin, Lehigh
2.18 – Gustavo Rangel, Loyola Maryland
2.25 – Tyson Sparks, Army West Point
3.12 – Chip Deegan, Navy
3.18 – Eli Spaulding, Loyola Maryland
3.25 – Jack Tarzy, Navy
4.1 – Ronav Benak, Colgate
4.8 – Chip Deegan, Navy
4.15 – Tyson Sparks, Army West Point
Women’s Golfer of the Week
9.11 – Katherine Vice, Bucknell
9.17 – Joelle Johnson, Bucknell
9.24 – Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell
10.1 – Amy Han, Boston University
10.8 – Paige Richter, Bucknell
10.15 – Amy Han, Boston University
10.23 – Paige Richter, Bucknell/Joelle Johnson, Bucknell
10.29 – Emma Tang, Navy
2.18 – Yuki Zhu, Lehigh
2.25 – Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell
3.12 – Nicole Yun, Bucknell
3.18 - Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell
3.25 - Emma Tang, Navy
4.1 – Amy Han, Boston University
4.8 – Annika Manjunath, Boston University
4.15 – Sophia Bardunias, Bucknell/Yuki Zhu, Lehigh
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.