The fall season started Monday for the Nicholls men’s golf team, as tit took part in the 54-hole Cellular One/Raising Cane Classic. Nicholls finished a season-low 305 to finish play in the Classic, which was hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi and played at the 6,964-yard, par-71 Canebreak Golf Club.

USM took first place in the season-opening event, finishing 17 strokes clear of the runners up Jacksonville State. The Colonels, on the other hand, finished play 10 shots behind New Orleans and 17 shots behind William Carey.

Senior Jacob Lipari led the way for the Colonels, hitting two-over par 73 to finish the event in a tie for 54th place. Sophomore Nolan Rohatyn finished one stroke ahead of Lipari, hitting rounds of 78-78-76 to finish in a tie for 51st place.

Kevin Axford was the lowest scorer for the Colonels, putting together rounds of 76-75-78 to finish in a tie for 45th place. Billy Rase and Sammy Weber round out the lineup for the team.

“Of course we would have liked to play better but this was our first tournament,” golf coach James Schillings said. “We just have to keep getting better and maturing as a team. We have some experience in our lineup. It’s just a matter of clicking and playing well at the same time.”

The team was not able to practice much for the event because of the blanketing rain in South Louisiana for the past three weeks.

“Our guys have been practicing all summer but still,” Schilling said. “Not being able to practice outside and establish any kid of rhythm hurt our team.”

Prior to the season opener, Schilling welcomed back five returnees along with two newcomers.

Freshman Gary Sheppard comes to Nicholls from England, while freshman walk on Travis Miglicco from Donaldsonville and attended Ascension Catholic.

Seniors Axford and Lipari leads the corps of returnees. Axford, who is entering his first season, had the highest team scoring average last spring.

Lipari earned the award of Southland Conference Golfer of the Week accolades, while tying for 11th place at the Bob Brown/Sportscare Classic last March.

Junior Billy Rase, senior Sammy Weber and sophomore Rohatyn round out the list of returnees.

Rase, the son of former PGA golf pro Bill Rase, came to Nicholls from Lamar in the spring season. He provided a steady in the middle of the lineup.

Weber and Rohatyn saw limited action last season, but will figure to be in the mix for playing time in the 2001-2002 season.

Nicholls will continue its season on Monday, playing host to the Gulf Coast Collegiate Classic at The Bridges in Bay St. Louis, Miss.