This past weekend the Binghamton University men’s golf team teed up for its last tournament of the fall season. The final competition was the Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate hosted by Seton Hall University at the River Course at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club. There were nine teams set to compete, but an unexpected visitor would join the mix as a nor’easter would show up in Bedminster, N.J.

Binghamton head coach Bernie Herceg described the weather conditions as “rainy, windy and frigid.”

The Bearcats finished in third behind another stellar performance by junior Jake Katz. He shot a 71-74-145, finishing one over par, tying for second-best individual performance.

“He was excellent,” Herceg said. “[Katz] really has played well all season. All year long he’s been a rock for us.”

Katz would tie with Kevin McLister of the University of Delaware. McLister’s teammate, Justin Martinson, would take top medalist honors after shooting a 143 combined score after two rounds.

The tandem of McLister and Martinson, along with solid team play, would lead Delaware to first in the final team standings. Delaware would end up shooting a total score of 600 after two days of play, besting Boston College by three strokes.

Binghamton would finish just behind both schools as its team’s play totaled a final score of 608.

Bearcat senior Michael Corbo finished in a tie for 18th place after shooting 76-79-155, 11 over par, while teammate Patrick Donovan shot 80-76-156, 12 over par, to tie for 21st place. Junior Andrew Marler finished in a tie for 25th place as he finished 13 over par shooting 81-76-157. Sophomore Steve Armstrong shot 76-84-160, 16 over par, on his way to finishing tied for 32nd.

“Overall, I think we played very well,” Herceg said. “They produced what they could under the conditions. Besides for the nor’easter, this was also the first time we played this course. We were really only one round away of probably accomplishing first place.”

The Binghamton team would outperform Seton Hall University, George Washington University, Navy, Long Island University-Brooklyn, Farleigh Dickinson University and Wagner College on its way to the third-place finish.

Overall, the team placed first at the Cornell Invitational (of 15), third at both the Lincoln Mercury Intercollegiate (of nine) and St. Bonaventure Invitational (of 13), fourth at the Philadelphia Big 5 Invitational (of 17), sixth at the Missouri Tiger Intercollegiate (of 13) and 11th at the Yale MacDonald Cup (of 14).

“On a scale of one to 10, I think we we’re a 7.5 [or] eight,” Herceg said, speaking of his team’s fall season. “We are very close to accomplishing what we went out to do. We’re finishing high but we’re looking forward to winning. The guys worked hard this fall and it showed.”

Now that the season is over, the team will get some time off. Before long the Bearcats will be hitting the weight room for some offseason training. In addition to that, in February the team will begin to hit inside, where each player’s swing will be video-recorded in order to make modifications when necessary.

These offseason efforts are meant to gear the team for the America Sky Golf Conference championship in the spring.