Terps End Season, Qualify for First NCAA Tourney Since 1994
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 26, 1999
TERRAPIN GOLFERS FINISH 17TH AT NCAA REGIONALS
Advancing to NCAA Regional play for the first time since 1994, the Maryland men's golf team finished 17th out
of 23 schools at the NCAA East Regional, May 20-22, at Rhode Island Country Club. The Terps finished 37 over
par and tied with Seton Hall after opening each of the last two rounds within reach of qualification for the NCAA
Championships, June 2-5. Maryland shot an opening round 300 (+16), but joined a host of teams with high scores
during the first trip around the par 71, 6,734-yard track, and found itself just three strokes out of the qualifying 11th
place - tied for 15th. The Terrapins shaved eight strokes off their score on day two, but climbed just one spot in
the standings and remained six strokes out of NCAA qualification. The Terps reversed course in their final 18-hole
round, shooting a 297 and falling to their final position.
Maryland was led in the regional by steady play from junior Keith Unikel (Potomac, Md.) who returns next season as one of the top invididual golfers in the country. He shot 73-72-72=217 (+4) at the regional to finish in a tie for 24th place. He was ranked among top golfers nationally all season, peaking in Golfstat Cup rankings at No. 46 and leading the Terrapins with a 72.33 stroke average.
Overall, Maryland was ranked as high as No. 6 during a brief moment in the fall, and throughout the spring in the top 40 by all three collegiate golf polls. The Terps were as high during the spring as No. 26 by Golfstat. They finished No. 31 by MasterCard/Collegiate Golf Foundation, No. 33 by Golfstat, and No. 37 by Golfweek/Sagarin.
Ending their collegiate careers in Rhode Island were seniors Miguel Rivera (Bel Air, Md.), Mike Deo (Milford, N.J.) and Pete Coughlin (Berwick, Pa.). After an injury and a slow start to the season, Rivera rebounded to play the team's best golf down the stretch, winning the Furman Intercollegiate and firing six subpar rounds during three tourneys leading to the East Regional. At Rhode Island, Rivera tied for 43rd at seven over par (75-71-74=220).
Returning for 1999-2000 beside Unikel is junior Gary Mankulish (Laurel, Md.) who consistently was among the Terps' top three players at every tournament and who possesses the best long ball on the team. Mankulish's 73.83 average was second on the team. He shot 75-76-75=226 (+13) at the East Regional.
ALL-ACC RECIPIENT AND ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Terp junior Keith Unikel is the first Maryland golfer since 1994. He also was named to the GTE/CoSIDA
Academic All-District second team. Unikel boasts a 3.46 GPA while majoring in finance.
JUST "ANOTHER" AWARD - TOP SENIOR MEN'S SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
While Unikel is Maryland's nominee for Academic All-America honors, senior Pete Coughlin capped his
college career named as the University of Maryland's top male senior scholar-athlete.
TERRAPIN GOLF: PAST AND FUTURE
Tom Hanna is a former Terrapin player who helped Maryland to a ninth-place finish in the 1971 NCAA
Championships. Since Hanna returned to his alma mater as coach in 1991-92, he has twice directed to the Terps
back to NCAA competition (1994 & 1999). A former player of Hanna's who starred on the '94 team which last
qualified for the NCAA Regionals, Jason Rodenhaver, was named last December to head the Maryland women's
golf team which begins play for the first year in 1999-2000. Rodenhaver was an assistant with the Maryland men's
golf program prior to his naming as head women's coach.
Terps At a Glance
Head Coach: Tom Hanna
NCAA Appearances: 8 (1958, 1963, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1994, 1999)
Last Appearance: 1999 (East Regional, 17th of 23 at Barrington, R.I.)
1999 Final Rankings: 31st by MasterCard/College Golf Foundation, 33rd by Golfstat, 37th by Golfweek/Sagarin
Team Average: 73.59 (96 rounds)
Top Individual Average: Keith Unikel, 72.33 (21 rounds)
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1999 SPRING ROSTER
Pete Coughlin SR Berwick, Pa. Mike Deo SR Milford, N.J. Gary Mankulish JR Laurel, Md. Brit Musser FR North Potomac, Md. Ben Ricker JR Bowie, Md. Miguel Rivera SR Bel Air, Md. Keith Unikel JR Potomac, Md. Doug Wade SO Lima, Oh.
MARYLAND MEN'S GOLF SPRING 1999 STATISTICS - FINAL
Name Trn. Rds. Top 10 -Par Par 60's Low Rd. High Rd. Strokes Avg. Keith Unikel, Jr. 7 21 3 7 1 4 68 (4) 78 1,519 72.33 Gary Mankulish, Jr. 8 24 2 5 2 0 70 (2) 78 1,772 73.83 Miguel Rivera, Sr. 8 24 2 5 3 1 69 81 1,779 74.12 Mike Deo, Sr. 8 24 0 2 2 0 70 81 1,799 74.96 Pete Coughlin, Sr. 8 24 0 1 2 1 68 85 (2) 1,837 76.54 Ben Ricker, Jr. 1 3 0 0 0 0 78 87 248 82.70 Team Totals 8 96 7 20 10 6 68 (5) 87 7,065 73.59MARYLAND MEN'S GOLF SPRING 1999 RESULTS - FINAL
March 12-13 = UNC Charlotte Birkdale Classic
Birkdale Golf Course, Charlotte, N.C. (Par 72, 7,013 Yards)
Finish Scores T6 of 18 MARYLAND 298 302 300 900 +36 T7 Keith Unikel 71 73 74 218 +2 T13 Gary Mankulish 72 73 75 220 +4 T44 Miguel Rivera 74 77 79 230 +14 T54 Mike Deo 81 81 72 234 +18 89 Pete Coughlin 85 79 85 249 +33March 19-20 = Pepsi Intercollegiate
Bradford Creek Golf Course, Greenville, N.C. (Par 72, 6,976 Yards)
Finish Scores 3 of 25 MARYLAND 286 297 293 876 +12 3 Gary Mankulish 71 72 71 214 -2 T10 Keith Unikel 70 75 72 217 +1 T19 Mike Deo 71 73 76 220 +4 T56 Pete Coughlin 75 77 74 226 +10 T74 Miguel Rivera 74 77 77 228 +12March 22-23 = Cleveland Golf Championships
Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken, S.C. (Par 71, 6,380 Yards)
Finish Scores T2 of 12 MARYLAND 287 294 288 869 +17 T3 Keith Unikel 68 75 70 213 E T11 Mike Deo 70 74 72 216 +3 T11 Pete Coughlin 75 68 73 216 +3 T33 Gary Mankulish 74 77 73 224 +11 T49 Miguel Rivera 81 78 73 232 +19April 3-4 = Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational
Forest Hills Golf Club, Augusta, Ga. (Par 72, 6,875 Yards)
Finish Scores T6 of 19 MARYLAND 296 292 285 873 +9 T18 Keith Unikel 76 73 68 217 +1 T23 Mike Deo 73 73 72 218 +2 T23 Pete Coughlin 72 74 72 218 +2 T36 Miguel Rivera 75 72 73 220 +4 T76 Gary Mankulish 78 74 75 227 +11April 16-18 = ACC Championships
Old North Stt Club at Uwharrie Pt, Badin Lake, N.C.(Par 72, 7,102 Yards)
Finish Scores 6 of 9 MARYLAND 306 299 300 905 +41 T10 Miguel Rivera 78 71 70 219 +3 T22 Gary Mankulish 75 75 73 223 +7 T36 Mike Deo 77 77 79 233 +17 T38 Pete Coughlin 76 76 82 234 +18 44 Ben Ricker 87 83 78 248 +32April 23-24 = Wofford Invitational
Carolina Country Club, Spartanburg, S.C. (Par 72, 6,675 Yards)
Finish Scores T3 of 13 MARYLAND 294 283 294 871 +7 T6 Gary Mankulish 70 70 74 214 -2 T13 Miguel Rivera 74 72 71 217 +1 T13 Keith Unikel 76 68 73 217 +1 T27 Mike Deo 74 73 76 223 +7 59 Pete Coughlin 77 78 81 236 +20May 1-2 = Furman Intercollegiate
Furman University Golf Course, Greenville, S.C. (Par 72, 6,800 Yards)
Finish Scores 3 of 17 MARYLAND 297 284 301 882 +18 1 Miguel Rivera 73 69 71 213 -3 T13 Keith Unikel 76 68 76 220 +4 T26 Gary Mankulish 75 71 78 224 +8 T34 Pete Coughlin 74 76 76 226 +10 T44 Mike Deo 75 76 78 229 +13May 20-22 = NCAA East Regional
Rhode Island Country Club, Barrington, R.I.. (Par 71, 6,734 Yards)
Finish Scores 17 of 23 MARYLAND 300 292 297 889 +37 T24 Keith Unikel 73 72 72 217 +4 T43 Miguel Rivera 75 71 74 220 +7 T81 Gary Mankulish 75 76 75 226 +13 T81 Mike Deo 77 73 76 226 +13 T110 Pete Coughlin 77 78 77 232 +19
