Repeating a championship performance is never easy.

Unless you’re NIU men’s golf coach Jack Pheanis.

Pheanis will take his three-time Mid-Continent golf champions to the Illinois State University Redbird Invitational in Normal. The 54-hole competition is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

Coming off the conference championships last week, Pheanis and crew will try and duplicate the spirited and tenacious play that marked their ascent to the top of the Mid-Continent conference for the third straight time.

“We have a very strong team feeling,” Pheanis said. “The conference title added to the confidence of the new guys.”

“Besides a very good Illinois State team, I’m not sure of the field down there. I do know that we’re going down to win. We have the quality and we’re quickly gaining the experience necessary to make this team really take off.”

The starters slated for the Redbird tourney are Jason Samuelian (co-medalist of the Mid-Con championships), Mark Voeller, Ted Meyer, Derek Schoonhoven and Niclas Jinglov.