MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg's golf team entered the 2012-13 season looking to win its third-consecutive North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championship and head to its third-straight NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Unfortunately, the Lions fell just short of achieving that rare feat. Still, the Blue & White turned in strong performances at the NEAC title tournament held last April. Junior Jason Long (Rockhill Furnace, Pa. / Southern Huntingdon County) earned a share of second place overall along with sophomore Matt Plummer (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley).
Penn State Harrisburg's valiant defense of its back-to-back NEAC championships earns the number six slot on our countdown of the top ten most memorable moments from the 2012-13 Winter/Spring sports seasons. The Lions finished just six strokes shy of heading back down to Florida to take part in the NCAA tourney, falling to the eventual NEAC title winners from Rutgers-Camden. Still, the men placed four players on the league's all-conference lists.
Long had a stellar Penn State Harrisburg debut season and his two-day total of 153 not only gave him a share of the runner-up spot but also earned him a well-deserved NEAC Rookie of the Year award and a spot on the league's all-conference first-team list. Plummer, the 2011-12 NEAC Player of the Year, also shot a two-day 153, good enough to earn him NEAC first-team all-conference honors as well.
Freshman Matt Rowe (Lebanon, Pa. / ELCO) wasn't far off his teammates pace, shooting a two-day total of 157, good enough to rank him seventh on the final leaderboard and earn him a spot on the NEAC's all-conference second-team. Junior Chris Murphy (Harrisburg, Pa. / Susquehanna Township) also had a solid outing, scoring a two-day 161. His total placed him 13th overall and was good enough to earn him a slot on the league's all-conference third-team.
Penn State Harrisburg shot a two-day team total of 624 while Rutgers-Camden squeaked out the championship win by shooting a 618 total as a squad. Despite the setback, there's no reason to write off the Lions' recent string of success as the team brings back plenty of talent for the 2013-14 campaign. The Blue & White just might be swimming and swinging in Florida once again next spring.
Check back tomorrow to find out what memorable 2012-13 Winter/Spring sports moment grabbed the number five spot on our top ten list. Yes, you get a hint. The team featured in our next installment put an end to an impressive winning streak over a conference rival in one of the most exciting contests of the entire year. Guess away...