Capping off Siena Men's Golf's 30th event appearance and the 2018-19 season, freshman Jared Nelson and senior Jack Bellardini each finished inside the top-10 to earn All-Championship Team honors at the 2019 MAAC Championships in Lake Buena Vista, Florida Saturday. Nelson also became the second Saint in the last three years and the third overall to be named the MAAC Rookie of the Year.
Overall, Siena remained in fourth place as they had been throughout the duration of the event at +40, 904, notching its fourth consecutive top-5 team finish, all coming under Head Coach Steve Jensen. Iona (+23, 887) finished seven strokes ahead of the field to capture its second straight and fifth overall MAAC Championship.
With both beginning the day with a top-10 finish in sight, Nelson held an even score heading into the back nine, including notching an eagle on the 510-yard, par-5 fourth hole. The Rutland ,Vermont native holed a pair of birdies out of the turn to finish -1, 73 on the day and +3, 219 on the weekend, finishing alongside the Gaels' Oisin Deveruex and four strokes behind individual medalist Jeffrey Peters from Saint Peter's. Nelson's finish give him his third top-3 and sixth top-5 individual result on the season, and earned him Rookie of the Year honors.
Competing at the tournament for the fourth and final time in his steadfast career in the Green and Gold, Bellardini birdied three times to split with the Peacocks' Melvin Morales for 10th place individually, improving from a t-14 finish in 2018. The co-captain earned his first career All-Championship Team honors by shooting +5, 77 in the final round and +9, 225 at the 54-hole event, held at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course for the fifth straight year.
Despite moving down five spots, sophomore Jack Brown carded the team's second eagle of the day on the 175-yard, par-5 hole 15 to go +7, 79 on the day on the par-72, 6898-yard course, landing in a three-way split for 16th place with +13, 229 overall. Freshman Brad Whitaker recorded birdies on holes two, three and four to improve six spots with a weekend-best +3, 75, finishing in 22nd place with +15, 231. Competing in his first found of the tournament sophomore Pudge Williams, who subbed in for senior Jack Downey, shot +12, 84 on the day.
In addition to a pair of All-Championship Team nods and a Rookie of the Year honor, Siena also saw a pair of players earn MAAC All-Academic Team honors. Bellardini earned the accolade for the third time in his collegiate career, while Williams saw his name on the list for the first time in the Green and Gold.
