Oct. 8, 2007
Stats
NORMAL, Ill. -
Just one day after the course record fell at the Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University, it was tied, twice. Illinois State sophomore Tommy Bliefnick and Illinois freshman Chris DeForest each recorded final rounds of 63 en route to matching a feat not accomplished in over three years.
"This is definitely a step in the right direction for us," said head coach Ray Kralis. "We have taken steps to get better since earlier in the season, and we have a few guys scoring well, but we need to be more consistent and have three or four players putting up low numbers."
Bliefnick led the ninth place Illinois State "White" team as he finished tied for fourth with a three-round-total of 211 (76, 72, 63). Redshirt sophomore Kyle Bragg also placed in the top-15 as he tied for 12th with a three-round-total of 215 (72, 69, 74).
The Illinois State "Red" team placed third overall after a three-round-team-score of 862 (282, 292, 288). Each of the "Red" team competitors placed in the top-half of the field and each recorded final rounds in the 60's or 70's. Redshirt sophomore Joe Emerich, who set the course record in round one with a 63, finished tied for 10th with a three-round-total of 213 (63, 73, 77). The Redbirds also relied on a pair of true freshmen as Will Cullen recorded a three-round-total of 216 (70, 73, 73) and Jeff Kellen recorded a three-round-total of 220 (74, 73, 73). The "Red" team finished with a three-round total of 862 (282, 292, 288).
Illinois placed first in the 54-hole event after tallying an 837 (290, 275, 272) as a team. The Fighting Illini also claimed the individual title as Chris DeForest's final round 63 led him to a first place finish. Southern Illinois finished seven strokes behind Illinois with a three-round-total of 854 (288, 284, 282).
"We have played against many of these teams in previous tournaments this year," said Kralis. "To be able to come back from a few rough weeks and show that we can compete is a great thing but we still need that consistency throughout a whole tournament if we want to really challenge good teams."
The Redbirds return to action Oct. 22-23 as they compete in the Austin Peay State University Intercollegiate at the Links at Novadell in Hopkinsville, Ky.
