April 10, 2007
Results
JONESBORO, Ark. -
Senior Matt Miller shot a even-par 72 in Tuesday's final-round to finish the 11th Annual ASU Indian Classic tied for 11th place in Jonesboro, Ark. Miller ended the tournament with a three-round total of two-under-par 214 (71, 71, 72), leading the Illinois State men's golf team to a tie for seventh place with Jacksonville State.
As a team, the Redbirds were able to move up one spot on the leaderboard after ending day one tied for eighth place. The `Birds fired a three-round score of two-over-par 866 (289, 288, 289) and ended only two shots away from a top-five finish.
When reflecting on the team's play during the two-day tournament at Sage Meadows Golf Club, head coach Ray Kralis was proud of the Redbirds' performance and felt that the ISU golfers were able to show signs of improvement.
"Overall I thought the tournament was a strong team effort," said Kralis. "Although we didn't make a big move in the standings today, the guys put together some solid rounds. Today we had some real tough competition, and we knew it was going to be tough - but we have so many positive things we can build off after competing and I think that will make us stronger as we prepare for the conference championship in the next week."
Miller was able to lead the way for the Redbirds by making 15 birdies, the second most during the tournament. Freshman Drew Miller also strung together a solid performance, shooting a one-under-par 71 during the final round to end with a total of one-over-par 217 (73, 73, 71). Sophomore Ben Murphy ended the classic tied for 35th, firing a three-round tally of 219 (73, 72, 74). Senior Ryan Brown carried the momentum from his second round even-par 72, matching the score in the final round to finish tied for 54th with a total of 223 (79, 72, 72). Shooting a three round score of 227 (72, 80, 75), sophomore Joe Emerich ended the tourney tied for 67th.
South Florida overcame a two-shot deficit during Tuesday's round, ending the tournament with a two-shot lead while taking home the team title. The Bulls finished with a score of 12-under-par 852 (285, 281, 286), the lowest 54-hole team score in tournament history. New Orleans fell to second place (854), while Louisiana-Lafayette finished in third with a score of 857. Troy placed fourth with a total of 862 and Louisiana Tech rounded out the top five with a team score of 864.
Austin Peay State's Erik Barnes captured medalist honors, shooting a final-round two-under-par 70 and securing a four-stroke victory. Barnes finished with a total of 10-under-par 206 (68, 68, 70).
Missouri Valley Conference members Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois also competed in the tournament. Missouri State (865) finished one shot ahead of the Redbirds in sixth place, while Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois placed 13th and 16th, respectively.
The Redbirds will have a week to prepare for the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, held April 23-24 at the Kansas City Country Club in Kansas City, Kan.
