Men's Golf: GNAC Tournament Preview

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Norwich University men's golf team will look to cap off a historic fall season when it competes in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship on Oct. 14–15 at New Haven Country Club. The two-day event, hosted by Albertus Magnus College, will determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championship.

The Cadets enter the championship on a strong run of form, highlighted by their highest-ever team finish at the prestigious Duke Nelson Invitational, a team victory at the Tony Mariano Invitational, and a runner-up finish at the Castleton Invitational. Norwich has consistently been among the region's top programs throughout the fall, building confidence heading into the league's biggest weekend, and was picked to finish third in a tightly contested pre-championship poll, receiving two first-place votes behind two-time defending champion New England College and the hosts from Albertus Magnus.

Junior Cooper Bertrand (Caledon, Ont.) has led the way for Norwich all season, collecting three consecutive GNAC Golfer of the Week honors between Sept. 8 – 22, including a pair of individual titles at the Castleton and Tony Mariano Invitationals. Bertrand also finished tied for second at the Duke Nelson Invitational and opened the year with a second-place finish at the St. Lawrence Invitational. A 2024 Second Team All-GNAC selection and 2023 GNAC Co-Rookie of the Year, Bertrand will look to contend for medalist honors in New Haven when he tees off with the second group of four.

Fellow classman Harrison Giambattista (Danielson, Conn.), a 2023 Second Team All-Conference honoree, has provided steady scoring throughout the lineup. Giambattista placed tied for fourth at the Battle for Boston Invitational and carried that momentum into the fall finale, tying for second in a tri-match against Albertus Magnus and New England College at New Haven Country Club—the same course hosting this week's championship.

Freshman JD Mahoney (Ellicott City, Md.) has emerged as the team's top newcomer, recording a tie for seventh at the Tony Mariano Invitational and matching that performance in the season-ending tri-match. Mahoney's consistency has strengthened Norwich's depth heading into his first GNAC Championship appearance.

In his first season at the helm. Head Coach John Roberts and the Cadets will look to continue their momentum and challenge for the program's first GNAC title in program history when play begins Tuesday morning.

2025 GNAC Men's Golf Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)