DeKALB — The men’s golf team competed in its second competition of the spring season, finishing in last place at the Aggie Invitational Sunday. The tournament, which featured nine teams that ranked in the top 50 of Golfstat, began on Saturday and wrapped up by Sunday at Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas. 

Round 1 

The Huskies shot a 324 combined score over the course of the round, which was the highest of any team throughout the day. The best single score by a Huskie came from graduate student Michael Cascino, shooting an 80 on the day.  Freshman Ben Sluzas and senior Tommy Dunsire shot an 81 respectively. NIU senior Reece Nilsen struggled in the opening round shooting an 88 to start the tournament.

Round 2

NIU improved in the second round shooting 310 as a team on the day. The Huskies had three players shoot in the 70s for the second round. The biggest jump came from Nilsen shooting an impressive 75 for the round. Junior Zach Place shot an impressive 76 for the day while Sluzas followed that up with a 79. 

Round 3

The Huskies were unable to capitalize on the momentum they built over the second round shooting a 318 for the round. The bright spot on the round came from Nilsen who shot a 73, which was tied for the best score of any player in the round. 

Thoughts from Coach Carlson

“The wind, the firm greens, and tucked hole locations made it a challenging tournament,” said head coach John Carlson to Huskie Athletics. “We went up against some of the best teams in the country who did a much better job of handling. The execution of our golf shots was not up to the level that we needed to be to compete well at Traditions. Our game plans were sound, and we were ready to go for our first tournament in three weeks.”

Looking ahead

NIU will be on the road again for the Hawkeye Invitational next Saturday and Sunday. The event will be held at the Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, Iowa.