The Binghamton golf team earned its first team victory of the season last weekend at the Dartmouth Invitational, with constant rain making for a challenging finish on Sunday. The Bearcats placed first, finishing 12 strokes ahead of runner-up Central Connecticut and 14 strokes ahead of home team Dartmouth at Hanover, N.H.

The Bearcats built a commanding lead after the first round on Saturday with excellent team play. Captain Jeff Wolniewicz led with an opening round 67, four under par. Senior Aaron Ungvarsky, junior J.J. Shearer, junior Tom Hackett and junior Zach Vinal followed with rounds of 73, 74, 74 and 74, respectively. In individual play, comprising 60 golfers, Wolniewicz finished in a tie for second, Shearer in fourth, Hackett in sixth, Ungvarsky in a tie for seventh and Vinal in a tie for 13th.

On Sunday the entire field, along with the Bearcats, had trouble adjusting to the tough weather conditions, characterized by copious rainfall. Most teams played worse the second day, including the Bearcats, who finished 26 shots off their day-one pace. But given the tremendous lead the Bearcats established, Coach Nick Lasky was not overly concerned.

“We played extremely well the first day and played well enough the second day to hold on for the victory,” Lasky said. “It started raining on the first hole Sunday and just never stopped, and we finished our round in the pouring rain.”

Once again, captain Wolniewicz took the initiative and responded to the course he had played on so well in the past to lead the team.

“It was just one of those days where everything went right for him,” Lasky remarked. “He hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens, and even when he missed the greens, he was still able to get up and down by knocking his chips close and sinking the par putts.”

Wolniewicz was certainly not at a loss for words about his strong performance.

“I just played really solid, hit my wedges really well, hit 14 greens in regulation and only missed one putt inside 10 feet,” Wolniewicz said. “I was hitting the ball very solidly on the practice range and it just carried over to one of the best rounds I have played in a long time.”

Perhaps the most positive sign was the play of Hackett in his first career Division I tournament, responding to the pressure and proving that he belongs.

“Hackett is just wonderful,” Lasky said. “His play is very solid, and although he made a couple of mistakes here and there that cost him, I am very happy with his play and very happy to have him on the team.” Look for Hackett to remain in the starting lineup as the Bearcats head to Yale this weekend for their next tournament.

Vinal played solidly the first round, but had several things working against him in the second round, including a major headache and a sore throat.

BU will look to continue its winning ways this weekend at the Yale MacDonald Cup in New Haven, Conn.