SAINT LEO, Fla. – After climbing seven spots at the South/Southeast Super Regional, Saint Leo men's golf is geared up to compete at the National Championships May 21-25 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. on the par-72, 7,407-yard Fighting Joe course on Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals.
 
Saint Leo will send Riley Goss, Bas Vermeulen, Simon Knutsson, Oliver Lillidahl and Alberto Castagnara to the links to compete for the 2018 championships when the Green and Gold tees off Monday, May 21st at 8:15 am. Saint Leo will open up play with Delta State and five individuals.
 
The tournament will see three days of stroke play where the top eight teams advance to the quarterfinals Thursday, May 24. After the first 54-holes, the 2018 Individual national champion will be crowned where the top eight teams will battle for the team title with medal/match play.
 
Alberto Castagnara paces the Lions with a 72.33 adjusted stroke average on the year with a 31-1 record against the 51-100 golfers in the country and a 17-2 record against the 26-50 golfers. Castagnara is the 23rd ranked player in Division II where he is 1497-25 on the year head-to-head.
 
Riley Goss is standing in 62 in the country with a 73.36 scoring average where Oliver Lilliedahl is 113th out of the top-150 golfers ranked with a 74.42 adjusted scoring average.
 
At the South/Southeast Super Regional, Saint Leo opened up play with back-to-back rounds of 297 before a final round of 282 for a 54-hole team score of 876 (+24) at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa. The Lions finished in sixth place on the team leaderboard, led by Castagnara in 28th pace at five-over 218.
 
Lilliedahl finished a stroke off Castagnara for 32nd place at 219 (+6). Bas Vermeulen and Simon Knutsson tied for 64th at 225 (+12) where Riley Goss finished in 75th at 227 (+14).
 
The Last Time at the National Championship …
The last time the Green and Gold were at the national championship was 2016, and the Lions won the National Championship for the first time in program history, marking the first championship in school history for a team. The Lions defeated Chico State 3-to-2 on May 21 in Denver, Colo.
 
Saint Leo saw freshman Hugo Bernard win the individual title two days prior, to become the first National Champion (individual or team) in school history after destroying the course in stroke play winning with a 203 (-13). Bernard guided the Lions squad of Liam Ainsworth, Joey Savoie and Griffin Clark hold down a first place ranking out of stroke play.
 
The Lions defeated Wilmington (Del.) 3-to-2 in the quarterfinals before a 2-2-1 tie against Lynn in the semifinals, advancing by a one-stroke advantage.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's golf team visit SaintLeoLions.com.  Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.