Fresh off a tournament victory, NIU men’s golf finished in seventh place at the Hawkeye Invitational, which wrapped up Monday.
In a field of 13 teams, the Huskies finished the tournament accumulating 881 strokes – two strokes behind the University of Minnesota. The Huskies excelled in the first round, tallying 289 strokes.
“Today was really a step forward,” said NIU men’s golf head coach John Carlson. “Our dispersion with our air and play was at an elite level and I’m really excited about that going forward.”
Paired with Minnesota throughout the event, Carlson spent the invitational reconnecting with his old team.
“It’s always fun to compete against any of the B1G 10 teams, and particularly Minnesota,” Carlson said. “I worked there for 9 years, and the head coach of Minnesota was my assistant coach, Justin Smith. He’s a very close friend of mine. It was fun.”
Senior Ben Sluzas led the pack at the Hawkeye Invitational, finishing within the top-three overall – his best placement of the season. Sluzas’ performance was driven behind a score of 69 in the first round.
“I want to shine some light on Sluzas for three rounds under par,” Carlson said. “He has had a great track record at Finkbine (Golf Course), and he really led our team.”
After shooting a 71 in the second round, Sluzas held his position at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 70 in the third round.
Although he competed as an individual, freshman Beau Petersen also had a strong performance, finishing tied for 13th place. Petersen dazzled in the first round, logging a career-best 18-hole score of 66 in the first round.
“Beau Petersen’s first round (score of) 66 is his best in his college career and really shines light on the youthful talent that we have on the team as we move into next year,” Carlson said.
Petersen posted a score of 74 in the second round before leaving the tournament with a score of 77 in the third round.
Senior Felix Krammer finished as the Huskies’ second-best golfer in the lineup, finishing in a tie for 19th place. Krammer was efficient through the first rounds, shooting a 71 and 72, before he was plagued with a third-round score of 77.
Sophomore Craig Long was third in the Huskies’ lineup, finishing tied for 34th place. Long posted a score of 74 in the first round, followed by a score of 75 in the second round.
Long exited the tournament returning to a score of 74 in the third round.
Freshman Conner McCall was fourth in the Huskies’ lineup, tying for 56th place. McCall posted a 77 in each of the first two rounds before improving to a score of 76 in the third round.
Freshman Jack Mulligan rounded out the Huskies’ lineup, carding a tied for 61st-place finish. Mulligan logged a score of 75 in the first round and 77 in the second round, but was set back after totaling 80 strokes in the third round.
UP NEXT
With one tournament remaining ahead of the Mid-American Conference Championship, Carlson noted how the team is prepared heading into the last leg of the season.
“My track record of teams playing well in April and May is extensive, and this team is continually building towards a championship team – which I’ve been fortunate to be a part of,” Carlson said. “I see the energy, I see the positivity. I also see the confidence brimming.”
NIU takes on the Purdue University-hosted Boilermaker Intercollegiate on Saturday, an all-day event that will conclude Sunday. The event is hosted at the Ackerman-Allen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Indiana.
