TOWSON, Md. - As the Landmark Conference counts down to the start of the 2026-27 academic year, the Conference will revisit some of the best stories from its member institutions through the Landmark Rewind series.
Running August 3-14, Landmark Rewind will spotlight one Landmark institution each weekday by featuring two stories originally produced by that school's athletics department. From student-athlete features and championship moments to community impact and campus initiatives, the series gives fans another opportunity to discover the people and programs that make the Landmark Conference special before fall competition begins.
It was a season for the ages for the Drew University men’s golf team in 2025-26.
In just their ninth year as a varsity program, the Rangers capped an incredible season with a 15th-place showing at the NCAA Division III Championships, marking the top finish by any Landmark Conference golf team at the national event. Additionally, the squad became the first golf team in conference history to make the final cut at the NCAA Championships.
Individually, senior Elliot Parker put the finishing touches on a stellar four-year career, tying for seventh place for the highest individual showing in Landmark Conference history for a men’s or women’s golfer at NCAAs. He went on to receive GCAA/PING Third Team All-America honors to become just the second four-time All-American in any sport at Drew.
The Rangers also won their second consecutive Landmark Conference title with a decisive 25-stroke victory, capped by a school- and conference-record, 5-under-par 283 in the second and final round. The team posted the lowest scores in Landmark Conference Championship history for both 18 and 36 holes (584), and all five of Drew’s starters earned All-Landmark Conference honors by virtue of their finishes at the championship.
In recognition of the team’s numerous achievements, Head Coach Lucas Artigliere was recognized as the GCAA Division III Golf Pride Grips Region III Coach of the Year, becoming the first Landmark Conference golf coach to earn the award since the conference began sponsoring the sport in 2017-18. In addition, he and his staff were honored as the Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for the second year in a row.
“I knew coming into the season that this team was special,” said Artigliere, a former Drew golf standout and two-time Landmark Conference Golfer of the Year. “We set our goals very high, and it was understood early on what it was going to take to achieve them. These guys worked so hard all year and had a lot of success leading up to nationals. We were able to trust in our preparation and therefore play with a lot of confidence.”
Throughout the year, the Rangers won six events, with the primary team winning its last three prior to the NCAA Championships. Among the squad’s most impressive performances was its victory at the prestigious Camp Lejeune Intercollegiate on April 10-12, as the Rangers defeated a number of nationally-ranked teams, including then-No. 10 Oglethorpe.
At the Landmark Conference Championships, the Rangers led by just five strokes after a rainy opening day but settled any doubt with their record-breaking performance in the second round, in which Parker shot an incredible six-under-par 66 en route to a six-stroke victory. In the process, he was named the Landmark Golfer of the Year for the second time, having also won the event as a sophomore.
Parker also earned his fourth consecutive First Team All-Landmark Conference honor by virtue of placing in the top six. He was joined on the all-conference first team by juniors Avery Cohen, who placed fourth, and Thomas Hurley, who tied for sixth. Sophomore Sam Dolan garnered second-team recognition with his eighth-place finish while senior Shiv Bhaskar tied for 12th to capture all-conference honorable mention.
The NCAA Championships were held in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. In addition to facing top-notch competition, the Rangers also were forced to contend with sweltering, humid weather conditions. However, the Rangers were undaunted and posted a 72-hole score of 1183 (297-293-302-291). Parker finished at 4-under for the tournament with a final tally of 283 (69-70-74-70), which was just six strokes behind individual champion Sebi Aliaga of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Hurley was Drew’s second finisher at NCAAs, shooting a 298 (75-76-74-73) and tying for 60th place. Cohen (77-72-79-73) and Dolan (76-75-75-75) each shot a 301 to complete the team scoring while tying for 70th, while Bhaskar placed 92nd with a 318 (81-76-81-80).
For the year, Drew averaged a school-record 293.8 per round – nearly four strokes better than the team’s previous record set one year earlier. The Rangers concluded the year ranked No. 41 in the final Clippd Division III rankings.
Individually, in addition to the team’s Landmark Conference accolades, Parker, Cohen, and Dolan all captured a spot on the GCAA/PING All-Region III Team.
“Throughout my four years at Drew University, I’ve had the pleasure of playing for the men’s golf team. Our success was largely due to our family culture and incredible coaching staff,” said Bhaskar. “Each one of my teammates was like a brother to me, and our coaching staff constantly pushed us to be the best players we could be.”
“We knew early on in the season that we were much better than our ranking, and we were grateful for the opportunity to go out and prove it,” said Artigliere. “I'm so proud of these guys and thankful for everyone involved in this journey. I can't wait to continue building off of this and aim even higher next season.”