CICERO, NY - Utica University's men's and women's golf teams completed two days of Empire 8 competition at Lake Shore Yacht & Country Club on Sunday and Monday. The men wrapped up the fall half of the 2026-27 Empire 8 Championship with a four-round total still to be completed in the spring, while the women competed in the conference's Fall Invitational. Utica's men posted rounds of 313 (+25) and 297 (+9) for a two-day total of 610 (+34), highlighted by one of the strongest team rounds in the field on Monday. The women improved by 23 strokes between rounds, following a 407 with a 384 to finish at 791 (+215).
Jacob Martyniuk (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) paced the Pioneer men across the two rounds on the 6,506-yard, par-72 layout. The senior opened with a 75 (+3), sitting tied for fourth after day one, before following with a 74 (+2) to finish tied for fifth overall at 149 (+5).
Daniel Maloney (Syracuse, NY/Living Word Academy) made a significant contribution to Utica's strong final round, improving from a 79 (+7) to a 74 (+2), with four birdies on Monday, to finish tied for 11th at +9.
Aydin Parekh (Nobleton, ON/Blyth Academy) placed tied for 19th at +12 after rounds of 80 and 76, while
Koltin Pickell (Ellenville, NY/Ellenville) finished tied for 22nd at +13.
Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids) rebounded from an opening 84 with a 74 on Monday to tie for 26th, and
Louie Roman (Oswego, NY/Oswego) also made a 10-stroke improvement, following an 85 with a 75 to place 31st.
Utica's final-round 297 featured three matching 74s from Martyniuk, Maloney, and Morse, with Roman's 75 completing the team score. The +9 round was tied with Oswego for the second-best team score relative to par on Monday and made Utica one of just three teams to finish the day below +10, joining St. John Fisher (+8) and Oswego (+9). The effort represented a 16-stroke improvement from the Pioneers' opening round. The weekend completes the first 36 holes of the Empire 8 Men's Golf Championship, with another two rounds scheduled for the spring to determine the final team and individual standings.
On the women's side,
Claire Draper (Watertown, NY/Watertown) led the Pioneers on the 5,689-yard, par-72 course, improving from a 94 (+22) to a 92 (+20) to finish tied for eighth overall at +42.
Megan Wright (Cold Brook, NY/Oriskany) followed in 11th with rounds of 95 and 98 for a +49 total.
Sianna Kenyon (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy) and
Jordan Dorrity (Constableville, NY/South Lewis Central) each made substantial second-day improvements, both cutting 12 strokes from their opening rounds. Kenyon followed a 107 with a 95 to place 16th at +58, while Dorrity shot 111 and 99 to finish 18th at +66.
Both teams will next compete in the MSMC Invitational on Thursday, October 15th. Action is set to take place at The Powelton Club in Newburgh, NY, with starting tee times to be announced soon. The event concludes the men's fall portion of the 2026-27 season, while the women will close their fall slate with their respective conference event, the NWGC Fall Invitational, early next week.
