![Mike Badiani]()
![Nick Barber]()
Contact:
Liz Cooper
781-239-2636
ecooper@MassBay.edu
WELLESLEY HILLS, MA (May 2018) — MassBay Community College is pleased to announce student athletes Nick Barber of Wayland and Mike Badiani of Dedham finished 1st and 5th at the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Golf Regional Championship Tournament in Cranston, RI, advancing them to the National Junior College Men’s Golf National Championship. The pair will compete in the four-day event at the Chautauqua Golf Club in Chautauqua, New York June 5th- 8th, which draws the NJCAA Division III golfers from around the country.
Barber, a General Business major and his second year on the MassBay Men’s Golf team, placed 1st at the Cranston tournament (shooting 77 the first day and 81 the second day). Last year, he became only the second golfer in MassBay history to qualify for the National Championship and he placed 30th out of 92 golfers. Barber is hoping to return to the National Tournament and his goal is to place in the top 18 and earn a spot on the All –American Golf team. “Going into this Championship, I know the course from last year so I feel I’ll have the ability to score better and enjoy the course more,” said Barber. “It’s an awesome experience and this year, going with a team mate will make the competition even better.”
Badiani, Liberal Arts major will be taking his first trip to the National Golf Championship after finishing the Regional Tournament in 5th place (shooting 88 the first day and 77 the second day). He becomes the third golfer in MassBay history to qualify for the National Championship. Badiani never played golf on his high school team and actually began playing for fun with his cousin 4 years ago. “I never played on a team before, I just picked it up on the fly, and really was able to develop my skills under Coach Lyell,” said Badiani. “It’s awesome that I advanced to the National Championship and I’m really excited to go over there and get my feet wet in a national tournament.”
“I am very excited that both Nick and Mike have qualified for the National Championship, and I know that they will have a big-time experience playing in a four-day event against some of the best golfers in the country,” said MassBay Director of Athletics Adam Nelson. “This is a credit to the hard work that they have put in all season long, and I know that they will do a great job representing MassBay. Coach Lyell and his entire team deserve a ton of credit for one of the most successful seasons in MassBay golf history, and I am thrilled that two of our guys have extended their season by heading to the National Championship.”
MassBay Men’s Golf team has been training and competing since February under Head Coach Slader Lyell and sent five team members to compete in the two-day Regional Championship at the Cranston Country Club, placing 2nd 7 strokes behind Massasoit Community College. The team members who competed where, Mike Badiani (Dedham), Nick Barber (Wayland), Jonghyun Lee (Dover), John Timothy Locke (Framingham) and Luke Spangenberg (Millis).
Barber and Badiani will head to Chautaugua, NY with Coach Lyell on June 3rd to compete in the National Championship.
For more information on MassBay Community College; www.massbay.edu.
MassBay Community College was recently ranked by the Brookings Institution as one of the top schools for value added and earned salaries in the workforce. Ranked #1 for 2-year colleges in Massachusetts, #2 in New England and ranked #16 nationally. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.