April 22, 2010
NORMAL, Ill. -
The Illinois State men's golf team has been picked to finish in second place at the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship, April 26-27. The Redbirds have finished in the top-three in each of the past nine seasons, with three team titles during that span (2002, 2005, 2007). The two-day, three-round tournament will be held at the par-70, 6,598-yard Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.
ISU received one first-place vote and 73 total votes in the pre-championship poll of league coaches. Wichita State, last year's champion, was picked to finish in first place with eight first-place votes and 80 total votes. The Shocker's defeated the Redbirds in last year's tournament by 15 strokes.
"We have an exciting weekend coming up," head coach Ray Kralis said. "We are taking a group in which everyone has stepped up and gotten it done for us at times, and I like our chances going in. This is a big deal and something we want badly. We are going to have to go in playing solid team golf and that's the way this team is built and that's the way we've been moving all year. I feel like we should be right there come the final few holes on Tuesday, and that's where we want to be. These guys are conditioned and ready for it and I'm excited to watch it play out. It's going to be a great couple of days."
The Redbirds lineup boast's four returning all-conference selections from last year's runner-up team and four golfers that are in the top-10 in conference stroke averages. Two-time All-Valley selection, senior Tommy Bliefnick is currently ranked second in the conference with a 73.76 stroke average. 2009 All-Valley selection, junior Jeff Kellen is ranked fourth with a 74.23 average. Senior Kyle Bragg, a 2009 All-Valley selection, is ranked seventh with an average of 74.52. Ranked 10th is sophomore Eric Meier with a 74.90 average. Rounding out the lineup will be 2009 All-Valley selection, senior Joe Emerich.
The team champion will advance to the NCAA Regional Championship, dates to be determined.
2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Championship Poll (Total Votes):
1. Wichita State (80)
2. Illinois State (73)
3. Missouri State (55)
4. Drake (52)
5. Northern Iowa (48)
6. Evansville (35)
7. Southern Illinois (33)
8. Creighton (20)
9. Bradley (9)
