Columbia-Greene Community College men's golfer Joey Kilmartin qualified for the NJCAA National Championship over the weekend, making him the first nationally-qualifying golfer since Gavin Cipollino in 2006.
In order to qualify, Kilmartin had to compete in the two day Region 3 championships, which was hosted by Mohawk Valley Community College, and played at Oneida Community Golf Club. The top two teams and the next ten individuals qualify and advance to the National Tournament.
On the first day, Kilmartin shot a 9 over par 81, which was good enough for 11th place. On a beautiful day two, Kilmartin struggled into the clubhouse, shooting a 16 over par 88. Kilmartin would drop to 19th place, but that was still good enough for the last qualifying spot. "Joey played real well on the first day but had some trouble finding the fairway on day two. He showed a lot of resilience," said Coach Skinar. "He found a way to get it down."
Kilmartin will now travel to Mayville, New York to compete for a National Championship. The tournament will be played at Chautauqua Golf Club, where it has been played since 1999.