BOWLING GREEN, Fla. – Connecticut regained its lead late in the third round and held off Marquette to win the BIG EAST Men’s Golf Championship Presented by JEEP at the Streamsong Blue Course in Bowling Green, Fla.  The Huskies finished six strokes ahead of the Golden Eagles.
 
UConn, which returned to the BIG EAST in 2020-21 after a seven-year absence, won its second BIG EAST golf title.  The Huskies also won in 1994.    
 
As BIG EAST team champion, the Huskies earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. 
 
Butler’s Michael Cascino outlasted Marquette’s Hunter Eichhorn in a sudden death playoff that lasted three holes to earn the conference’s automatic individual invitation to the NCAA Championship.  They are co-medalists.  The two tied at 7-under 209 at the end of regulation play.  Cascino led Eichhorn by one stroke going into the final round.  Cascino shot 1-under 71, while Eichhorn shot 70.  Eichhorn won medalist honors as a freshman in 2018. 
 
The top two UConn performers were freshmen Jimmy Paradise and Caleb Manuel.  In the final round, Paradise took a leap of nine spots on the leaderboard, shot 68 and finished third overall with a 54-hole score of 2-under 214.  Manuel, who started the day in third place at 4-under, shot 75 and took fourth.  Junior Jared Nelson was ninth at 217 (+1). 
 
For Marquette, in addition to Eichhorn, redshirt sophomore Nicolas Evangelio tied for 10th at 219 (+3).      
 
Seton Hall overtook Butler in the final round to take third place.  Senior Andres Acevedo shot 72 in the final round and finished in a four-way tie for fifth at even-par 215.  Senior Gregor Tait fired a 3-under 69 in the final round to make it to 216. 
 
Cascino and junior Raymond Sullivan helped Butler finished fourth.  Sullivan carded a 73 in the final round to finish at even-par 216 and the tie for fifth.
 
Villanova finished fifth, four strokes behind Butler.  Junior Noah Peck was the top Wildcat, finishing in a three-way tie for 10th with a 3-over 219.  He shot 69 in the first round.   
 
DePaul took sixth place followed by Xavier, Creighton and Georgetown.
 
Creighton’s Nate Vontz had a top 10 finish while shooting an even-par 216.  He tied for fifth. 
 
DePaul’s Conor Glennon was in the tie for 10th with a 3-over 219.      
 
Xavier’s top finisher was Ben Pirro at 225 (+9). 
 
Will O’Neill was the best for Georgetown at 227 (+11).   
 
Team Scores – Final Round
1.    Connecticut        292-285-292--869 (+5)
2.    Marquette           286-293-296--875 (+11)
3.    Seton Hall            296-291-295--882 (+18)
4.    Butler                   285-301-297--883 (+19)
5.    Villanova             290-299-298--887 (+23)
6.    DePaul                302-293-298--893 (+29)
7.    Xavier                   297-301-297--895 (+31)
8.    Creighton            299-303-304--906 (+42)
9.    Georgetown       314-311-299--924 (+60)
 
 
Top Individual Scores – Final Round
T1.  Michael Cascino, Butler                66-72-71--209 (-7)*
T1.  Hunter Eichhorn, Marquette         68-71-70--209 (-7)
  3. Jimmy Paradise, UConn                 71-75-68--214 (-2)
  4.  Caleb Manuel, UConn                    74-66-75--215 (-1)
T5.  Gregor Tait, Seton Hall                   74-73-69--216 (E)
T5.  Nate Vontz, Creighton                   72-71-73--216 (E)
T5.  Andres Acevedo, Seton Hall          70-74-72--216 (E)
T5.  Raymond Sullivan, Butler               70-73-73--216 (E)
 9.   Jared Nelson, UConn                      74-71-72–217 (+1)
T10.Noah Peck, Villanova                     69-75-75--219 (+3)
T10.Conor Glennon, DePaul              75-70-74--219 (+3)
T10.Nicolas Evangelio, Marquette      73-69-77--219 (-3)
 
*won playoff