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Men's Golf 5/19/2026 7:33:00 PM Garrett Murray / Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Gaels Bounce Back In Round Two With A 5-Under Team Score

MARANA, AZ — The Iona University men's golf team turned in a historic performance during the second round of the 2026 NCAA Marana Regional on Tuesday. Battling the challenging 7,317-yard layout at The Gallery Golf Club, the Gaels carded a spectacular 5-under par 283.

The tremendous effort marked the lowest single-round team score in an NCAA Regional in program history, improving by 19 strokes from Monday's opening round. With a 36-hole total of 585 (+9), the Maroon & Gold vaulted up the leaderboard into 11th place heading into Wednesday's final round.

Arizona leads the field at 35-under par, followed by Oklahoma State at 25-under and Arkansas State at 21-under. Tarleton State currently sits 10th at 7-over par, just ahead of Iona in 11th at 9-over. Florida Gulf Coast rounds out the teams behind the Gaels at 10-over par.

The Gaels' impressive second-round climb saw them leapfrog Florida Gulf Coast, San Diego State, and North Dakota State while closing the gap on both Tarleton State and St. Mary's entering the final 18 holes.

Freshman Jennings Oelke continued his standout postseason play, sitting tied for 25th overall at 2-under par after posting back-to-back under-par rounds. Oelke once again displayed poise beyond his years competing against one of the nation's elite regional fields.

Freddie Tucker entered the lineup during round two in place of Sahir Balyan and immediately provided a boost for the Maroon & Gold, carding an even-par round that proved critical in Iona's historic team performance.

Sean Richards delivered one of the highlights of the afternoon, birdieing each of his final three holes to cap off a major improvement from round one. Richards currently sits tied for 48th at 3-over par after helping anchor the Gaels' historic team round.

Connor Henderson battled through difficult conditions to finish the day tied for 51st at 4-over par, while Ryan Slevcove also showed significant improvement, climbing into a tie for 56th at 5-over.

The Gaels tee off in Wednesday's third and final round from 8:25 a.m. to 9:09 a.m. local time off hole No. 10.

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Players Mentioned

Sahir Balyan: 6' 0"; Junior

Connor Henderson: 5' 9"; Senior

Sean Richards: 6' 0"; Junior

Ryan Slevcove: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Freddie Tucker: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jennings Oelke: 5' 9"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sahir Balyan
: 6' 0"; Junior

Connor Henderson
: 5' 9"; Senior

Sean Richards
: 6' 0"; Junior

Ryan Slevcove
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Freddie Tucker
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jennings Oelke
: 5' 9"; Freshman