Snow covered the ground last week, but the NIU men’s golf team still prepared for the spring season.

The team can’t practice outside because of the weather, so it uses Huskie Stadium, inside two old racquetball courts. The team hits balls into nets and putts on artificial greens.

The practice will come into play when the Huskies begin the spring season of play March 1 and 2 at the Tri-State Classic in Martin, Tenn.

Huskies coach John Cleary, in his second season at NIU, has a new tool to instruct his team.

“Earlier in the summer, we had a computer donated to us with software to improve our swings,” Cleary said. “We’ve been working with it on video and on the computer to get their swings in shape.

“It’s good because I can compare the guys to tour players who have similar builds, and I can put their swings up against a great player’s swing to see what we need to improve on.”

The software has paid dividends in the fall season when the Huskies finished in the top five in four of the five tournaments they participated in. During the 2002-’03 season, the Huskies had three top-five finishes during the team’s entire 10-meet schedule.

“Our team goals don’t differ much from other NIU teams,” NIU captain Joe True said. “Obviously, our goal is to win the MAC and go on to the postseason. We use tournaments as a way to improve ourselves to get ready for the MAC tournament.”

Cleary said the team has two golfers who lead by example on the course.

Sophomore Ethan Roush had a second-place finish at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational and an eighth-place finish at the SMS Highland Springs Invitational.

Sophomore Nick Schenk had three top-five finishes.

“On the course, Nick and Ethan set the tone,” Cleary said. “Off the course, it’s our captain, Joe True, who can rally the troops and get them ready.”

In the spring season, the Huskies will travel to tournaments in Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia and Ohio.

The meets in West Virginia and Ohio are part of the conference schedule.

The MAC tournament takes place from May 6-8 in Columbus, Ohio.

The team has made great strides from last season to this season.

“The team made great steps this fall,” Cleary said. “Our kids played in a lot of tournaments over the summer and it gave them lots of experience and confidence in the fall.”

In the fall NIU took home first at the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, an event in which 16 teams were competing for the title.