Titans Now Look to Win Their Second Straight Regional Title – Posted 5/6/15

The County College of Morris (CCM) golf team stood tall at Flanders Valley Golf Course on Monday, May 4, capturing the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament with a score of 351.

The Titans placed four players in the top 10 overall. Their team score was 10 points better than second-place Burlington County College.

“The summer-like conditions made the greens at Flanders Valley GC very much like U.S. Open conditions, running extremely fast, and the golf course as a whole played tough,” Titans head coach Jim Chegwidden said. “But the CCM golf team kept it together under tournament pressure to secure their first GSAC title since the 2007 team won it. The leadership of sophomores Erik Diamond and Chris Budd proved to be the difference in the match.”

The Titans were led by Budd, of Rockaway, whose third-place finish (83) landed him on the five-man GSAC First Team. Diamond, of Pompton Lakes, also landed on the first team with an 88. Alex Pederson, of Flanders, and Jon Ostensen, of Rockaway, both posted 90s to make the five-man GSAC Second Team. Par on the Flanders Valley Blue/White course is 72. Dominick Burgio, of Lafayette, also competed for the GSAC champs.

The team was coached by Chegwidden, of Dover, and assistant coach Mike Mrugal, of Rockaway.

The team next plays the Region XIX Tournament at Black Bear Golf Course in Franklin (Sussex) on May 11 and 12. The Titans won last year’s Region XIX title by 27 strokes.

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Photo: The County College of Morris (CCM) golf team stands together at the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament at Flanders Valley Golf Course on Monday, May 4. From left to right are head coach Jim Chegwidden, of Dover; Chris Budd, of Rockaway; Jon Ostensen, of Rockaway; Erik Diamond, of Pompton Lakes; Alex Pedersen, of Flanders; Dominick Burgio, of Lafayette; and assistant coach Mike Mrugal, of Rockaway.