LANCASTER, Pa. - The seventh annual Centennial Conference golf championship is slated for Friday and Saturday, April 21-22, at the Eagle's Landing GC in Berlin, Md. And judging by the most recent tournament results, this year's title is up for grabs!

Muhlenberg enters the weekend as the defending champion, posting an 805 over 45 holes last season. The Mules have been the dominant team this spring, but stumbled home with a 14th place finish at last weekend's Cross Creek District II Classic. Franklin & Marshall was able to put together its "first team" for the first time last weekend and finished fifth, just 20 strokes back of Allegheny. Western Maryland and Gettysburg also bested Muhlenberg, finishing seventh and 13th.

The Mules won the Susquehanna Tee-Off tournament in mid-March, while finishing second at Moravian and third at Elizabethtown and York. Senior Matt Skilton (Churchville, PA / George School) and freshman Andy Wright shared medalist honors at Susquehanna with 74s, as the team posted a 299. Skilton also won the Elizabethtown Classic with a 78.

Western Maryland took second at Susquehanna as senior captain Ryan Reid (Walkersville, MD / Walkersville) carded a 75 to finish in a tie for first. He also finished sixth at Gettysburg (82). The Green Terror, who won the 1998 Conference title, has finished second on three occasions, including last season's five-stroke loss to Muhlenberg.

F&M finished second at its own Invitational as freshman Pat Heslop (Lititz, PA / Lancaster Country Day) carded a 75, good for third place. But keep an eye on sophomore Chad DeMartini (Bronxville, NY / Bronxville), who placed seventh at Cross Creek with a 160. Classmate Mike Gross (Malvern, PA / Great Valley) was a first-team All-Centennial selection last season, after finishing third with a 196, while junior Tucker Hemquist (Ottertail, MN / Minnesota Center for Arts Education) was a first-teamer in 1998.

Ursinus also finished second at F&M as senior Rob Bishop (Medford, NJ / Shawnee) finished fourth with a 76. Bishop has finished second twice in the Centennial championships, finishing six shots back in 1997 and eight back of WMC's Seth Aldridge last spring. He looks to become the second player to earn first-team All-Centennial honors (finish in the top seven) four times. Bishop was sixth in 1998. Junior Dave Fisher (Reading, PA / Central Catholic) could also be a factor. He was a first-team All-CC choice last spring, finishing seventh with a 201.

Gettysburg was third at its Invitational behind the play of sophomore Mike McLaughlin (Swampscott, MA / Northfield Mt. Hermon School), who placed second with a 76. He also earned first-team All-CC honors in 1999, taking fourth place with a 197. The Bullets won the CC championship in 1994 and 1995, but have finished no higher than third in the last four events.

Swarthmore could surprise some teams behind sophomores Matt Kaufman and James Dolan. They look to become the first Garnet players to earn first-team All-Conference recognition. Kaufman has a 76 to his credit this season in a quad match, while Dolan placed ninth at last season's championship with a 202. Dickinson will look to Dan Trainor to improve upon last season's sixth-place finish and return to the team's championship form of 1996.

The championship will be conducted over 36 holes - 18 on each day. Jeff Forbes '97 of Gettysburg and Tony Worm of Western Maryland hold the record for the low round at Eagle's Landing (72). The Bullets also set the record for the low team round, fashioning a 302 in the final round in 1995.