“I am excited about this upcoming season.  We have a lot of experience coming back and we wanted a challenging schedule,” related Stano.  “Everyone has the goal of winning PSAC’s and returning to the National Championships. By giving ourselves a challenging schedule, it will help us in the long run. The guys have been razor sharp focused in our preseason qualifiers as well as buying into their new weight training program. Our coaching staff is incredibly excited to help guide the guys to the next level. I am excited for the season to begin, and I know the entire team is ready for the fall tournament schedule to begin.”

The 2024 fall schedule gets underway at the UC Golden Eagle Fall Invitational hosted by Charleston (WV) on Monday, September 9 and Tuesday, September 10. Gannon will face a strong field in the 54-hole event, including a Charleston team that qualified for NCAA’s. A total of 16 teams and 104 players are expected to compete in the tournament. They will play 36 holes on Monday at Edgewood Country Club followed by 18 more on Tuesday.

Gannon returns a veteran and seasoned lineup that features a pair of GCAA Ping Div. II All-Atlantic Region Team members in Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena) and Mattia Parrini (Verolengo, Italy/Verolengo). Delorenzi led the Golden Knights with a 72.9 average and was the team’s top finisher at NCAA National Championships.

The lineup has been further bolstered with the addition of Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium). The redshirt sophomore joined the program a year ago after playing at Wagner but was unable to compete due to injuries. Stano notes that he was the winner in qualifiers and has been playing extremely well.  

Stano has assembled a demanding fall schedule with a number of new tournaments from previous years. The Golden Knights will play in eight tournaments this fall, capped by the PSAC Championships on October 18-20. In the spring Gannon looks to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in five years.

 

2023-24 Postseason:

PSAC Tournament

3^rd out of 10 teams

NCAA Div. II Atlantic/East Regional

1^st out of 20 teams

NCAA Div. II National Championships

19^th out of 20 teams

 

Head Coach:

Scott Stano (1st year overseeing men;  10th year overall)

Stano was promoted to Director of Golf at Gannon last year and has served as the women’s golf coach for nine seasons. During that time he has enjoyed incredible success, including a record-setting five straight PSAC Championships. He has been named the PSAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year six times. Now Stano will oversee the men’s golf program as well.

 

Key Returnees:

Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena): the junior from Italy was a first team All-PSAC selection and was named to the GCAA Ping Div. II All-Atlantic Region Team. he led Gannon with a 72.9 average over 31 rounds while finishing in the top five in five tournaments. That included one second place showing and three thirds, and he was in the top ten in nine of 13 tournaments. Remarkably consistent, his highest round of the year was a 79, with five rounds in the 60’s. That included a low round of 67 at the Guy and Jeanne Kuhn Memorial Invitational. Delorenzi improved after averaging 74.2 as a freshman in 2022-23 while earning second team All-PSAC honors.

Mattia Parrini (Verolengo, Italy/Verolengo): Parrini was named to the GCAA Ping Div. II All-Atlantic Region Team plus earned second team All-PSAC honors as a freshman. The native of Italy played in 30 rounds and averaged 74.2 in his initial season as a Golden Knight. He won the Guy & Jeanne Kuhn Invitational with rounds of 68 and 65 while finishing in the top five five times. Parrini led Gannon with six rounds in the 60’s.

Michael Wareham (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional): a senior, Wareham came on strong late in the year and was named to the All-PSAC second team. He finished second twice in 2024, including a second-place showing in the Atlantic/East Regional. He finished with a 74.2 average over 28 rounds with six top-ten finishes. Wareham improved by almost two strokes as a junior after averaging 75.8 as a sophomore.

Elijah Ruppert (Fleetwood, Pa./Brandywine Heights): turned in a strong fall season before missing the second half of the season with an injury. The senior finished with a 74.6  avg. over 15 rounds in six tournaments. That included a tie for fifth place in the Guy & Jeanne Kuhn Invitational with a 2-under-par total of 142 (70-72).

Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium): Seppanen transferred to Gannon a year ago after previously playing at Wagner but was unable to compete due to injuries. The native of Sweden compiled a scoring average of 76.2 in his freshman season at Wagner, placing 27th in the Northeast Conference Championship with a three-round total of 229 (77-76-76).

Season Opener:

UC Golden Eagle Fall Invitational

Dates: Monday, Sept. 9 and Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024

Golf Course: Edgewood Country Club.

Format: 54-hole stroke play event; 36 Holes Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday 9/10

Lineup: Play 5 score 4

Time: 8:30 a.m. or 9:00 am shotgun on Monday. 10 a.m. shotgun on Tuesday

Expected Teams: Gannon, Bluefield State, Charleston (WV), Concord, Davis & Elkins, Emory & Henry, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Indiana (Pa.), Johnson C. Smith, Virginia Union, West Virginia Wesleyan, West Liberty, West Virginia State, Wheeling, and Winston Salem State.

Roughly 104 players expected to be in the field.

 

Gannon Lineup

1. Rasmus Seppanen (Bastad, Sweden/Akademi Bastad Gymnasium) (DNP in 2023-24)

2. Michael Wareham (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) (74.2 avg. in 28 rounds)

3. Giovanni Delorenzi (Reggio Emilia, Italy/International School of Modena) (72.9 avg. in 31 rounds)

4. Mattia Parrini (Verolengo, Italy/Verolengo) (74.2 avg. in 30 rounds)

5. Elijah Ruppert (Fleetwood, Pa./Brandywine Heights) (74.6 avg. in 15 rounds)

 

Individuals

Jacob Wolak (Slippery Rock, Pa./Slippery Rock Area) (76.4 avg. in 23 rounds) 

Kyle Westfall (Erie, Pa./Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (Erie)) (77.1 avg. in 8 rounds)