Dec. 2, 2013
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State head men's golf coach Ray Kralis added two student-athletes during the early signing period for the 2014-15 season, as Zach Burry (Quincy, Ill.| Quincy Senior High School) and Jason Marrs (Aurora, Ill.| Waubonsie Valley High School) signed National Letters of Intent (NLI) to continue their academic and athletic success at Illinois State.
Kralis is looking forward to what Burry and Marrs will bring to the team next season.
"We have a very solid recruiting class shaping up with the addition of two all-state performers who have very fundamentally solid games," Kralis said. "I am excited about their desire to impact Redbird Golf."
Being a senior from Quincy Senior High, Burry has been a top performer for his team. He led it to multiple wins over the season, as well as a third-place finish at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) 3A State Championship, where he individually placed tied for eighth after scoring a 148 (73-75).
Burry has performed well in pressure situations, especially while competing in the regional and sectional championship in which he placed no higher than tied for fifth in the state's largest class. Burry has stayed busy and successful during the off season as well. He took second place in the 2012 Little People's Championship and then returned in 2013 to capture first.
Marrs, a native of Aurora, Ill., took first place at the 2013 MAJFT Windmill Open for the second year in a row, after firing off two-consistent rounds for an overall score of 143 (73-73). He also placed 11th at the 2013 Illinois State Junior Amateur Championship with a score of 227 (77-72-78), as well as finishing tied for third at the AJGA Preseason Junior with a score of 148 (72-76).
Marrs finished off his 2013 season by finishing tied for fifth place in the IHSA 3A State Championship, after carding a 70 in his first round to finish with an overall score of 146 (70-76). Marrs was also recognized by his conference for his academic success.
The Illinois State men's golf team will be back in action Jan. 25, 2014, to compete against in-state rival Illinois, in the Tivervin Cup in Placida, Fla.
