The Northern Illinois men’s golf team concluded its season with a sixth-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Men’s Golf Championships on Sunday at the undulating fairways of Longaberger Golf Club.
NIU (311-313-291-298 - 1213 (+61)) shot a final round 298 (+10) and retained their sixth-place position from Saturday. The Huskies nearly made up a seven-shot deficit on fifth-place Ohio, finishing a stroke back of the Bobcats. Host Kent State won the event, shooting a 290 (+2) on Sunday to wrap up the title.
Jeff Dick (73 (+1) | 80 (+8) | 68 (-4) | 71 (-1) | 292 (+4)) turned in a 71 (-1) in the final round. The junior birdied the par-four 17th hole to give himself sole possession of fifth place. Dick’s top-five finish earned him an all-tournament selection.
Dick also took home second-team All-MAC honors, a fitting ending to a season that saw the Huskies’ top golfer record five top-20 finishes, his first collegiate victory, and NIU’s lowest score at six of seven spring events.
“Jeff had another pretty good day,” NIU first-year men’s golf head coach Tom Porten said. “I am really pleased and proud of Jeff for battling back from the second-round 80 to finish under par on the weekend.
“Both honors are great for him, giving us our first all-conference selection since Andrew Frame three years ago. It’s going to be a good stepping stone going into next year and is good end to his junior season.”
Matt Triplett (78 (+6) | 74 (+2) | 75 (+3) | 74 (+2) | 301 (+13)) finished Sunday with a 74 (+2) on the par 72 course. This gave the senior 16th place, his best finish of the season. Kurtis Luedtke (81 (+9) | 77 (+5) | 76 (+4) | 77 (+5) | 311 (+23)) turned in a 77 (+5) on Sunday to earn himself a tie for 33rd. Paul Hammerschmidt and Griffin Bauman each ended in a tie for 37th. Hammerschmidt (81 (+9) | 82 (+10) | 75 (+3) | 76 (+4) | 314 (+26)) shot a 76 (+4) in the final round, while Bauman (79 (+7) | 83 (+11) | 73 (+1) | 79 (+7) | 314 (+26)) played an even back nine Sunday on his way to tallying a 79 (+7).
“Today was a really good team effort from top to bottom,” Porten said of his team’s performance in his first MAC Championships. “We almost caught Ohio and held our ground in sixth. It’s a nice way to end the season.
