Rutgers-Camden heading for NCAA golf championships again

Rutgers-Camden may not have the same bucolic, rural location as most of the other 40 schools entered in next week's NCAA Division III men's golf championships, but coach Bob Cardea knows his team will compete as hard as any of them.

The Scarlet Raptors earned their third straight NCAA berth, and fifth in the last seven years, by winning the North Eastern Athletic Conference title last month by an eye-popping 36 strokes.

It's a team that Cardea has built with local players; his top five all are from South Jersey.

"We want to identify the guys that are good fits for what we do here," he said. "We continue to stock the pond and try to get better and better."

Cardea, a certified teaching professional whose father coached Rutgers-Camden golf in the mid-1980s, became the team's coach in 1994 but has seen the program skyrocket since he went full-time seven years ago.

He credits expansion and improvement on campus for the progress.

"We've improved every single year," he said. "Nobody was living on campus 21 years ago and now half the homes around campus are occupied by student-athletes.

"We have a new dorm that's like a hotel. They've improved the gym and the dining area," Cardea said.

"The kids love it. They see what we have to offer and that we compete in Division III golf. They like it and they do a great job."

The Raptors, who play out of Pennsauken Country Club, have a sophomore as their No. 1 player, Kevin Sarlo of Burlington Township High.

He is joined on the starting unit by four seniors – Nick Baird (Delran), Chris McDonald (Paul VI), Kevin Anderson (Delran) and Louis Wilson (Pitman), the team captain.

Cardea said McDonald is a prime example of determination.

"He was the No. 1 player at Paul VI," he said. "He didn't start the first year, the second year or the third year. But he stuck with it and was our No. 2 player for most of this season. He could have thrown in the towel but he stuck with it."

The Division III national championships begin May 12 at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C. Cardea wants his seniors to be rewarded.

"They've worked their butts off for four years," he said. "They've put thousands of hours into it. I love 'em all."