University of Rochester sophomore Nick Palladino of the golf team has been selected to participate in the 2012 NCAA Division III Golf Tournament to take place at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida on May 15-18.

A total of 210 participants will compete at the championships. Thirty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championships. Three teams were selected from Pool B, which consists of independent schools, and schools that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final seven berths were reserved for Pool C, which are schools from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams.

The top five individuals are selected from the remaining players who have not qualified with a team.

Palladino was selected to compete as an individual in the tournament becuase the Yellowjackets did not qualify as a team.

This season, Palladino ranks 16th in Division III golfers in terms of scoring average, recording 73.50 per round.  During the year, Palladino has not finished worse than T-4th in the eight collegiate tournaments he has played.  He also has medaled three times, including breaking a 23 year old UAA scoring record when he scored his second consecutive UAA tournament victory by shooting a 137 in the two day event.

In December, Palladino also was invited to participate in the Patriot All-America Invitational in Arizona with the top golfers from Division I, II and III.

It is the second consecutive NCAA appearance for the sophomore who finished in a tie for 65th place at the 2011 Championships in Greensboro, NC.  His six-over score put him ahead of more than half of the 205 golfers in the field.

Also in 2011, Palladino earned the Mickelson Award, an honor given to Division III Golf's top freshman golfer.

Skidmore College represents the Liberty League (of which Rochester is a member) at the 2012 NCAA Championships by virtue of their win in the Spring Liberty League Match-Play Championships.

Centre's Chris Morris shot a 14-under 274 to take home the top individual honor last year. The championships were played at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.