March 13, 2014
ST. LOUIS -
Illinois State golfer Tyler Gentilella was named co-Missouri Valley Conference Golfer of the Week, along with Evansville's Alex Turner, as announced by the league office Wednesday. This marks the third-straight Redbird to receive the honor. Teammate Parker Freiburg received the honor last week (Feb. 26) and Wils Hawn earned it the previous week (Feb. 19).
Gentilella's consistent performance throughout the classic came as no shock to head coach Ray Kralis.
"Tyler's performance was certainly no surprise to me," Kralis said. "He has such a complete game that it was only a matter of time before his effort started showing in the results column. He has very high expectations, but has stayed patient in the process through the season, and this will only help him stay out of his own way and play to his potential."
Illinois State was led by sophomore Gentilella in the Louisiana Classics at the Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, La. While competing in a field with six teams in the top-85 and three of which are in the top-50, Gentilella was able to step up for the Redbirds by shooting par every round and ended the tournament with a 216 (72-72-72).
Gentilella finished the tournament tied for 13th place and helped Illinois State finish with a team score of 897 (293-297-307) to finish ahead of Kansas (899). It was the most consistent play from Gentilella this season and will be a confidence boost moving forward to the remainder of the season.
The Redbirds have a quick turnaround, as they will compete at the Seminole Intercollegiate March 14-17, in Tallahassee, Fla.
