Men’s Golf eyes top-3 finish at MIAC meet

The 2011 MIAC Men's Golf Championships start Saturday in Coon Rapids at Bunker Hills Golf Course. The 54-hole, three-day tourney continues Sunday and concludes Monday.

St. Thomas tied for second in the 2009 MIAC Championships, and placed third in 2010. The Tommies will look to challenge for another top-three finish in 2011 in an especially-competitive field. 
 
St. Thomas returns four of its top six players and have been bolstered by four freshmen players.

Junior John Young has placed 19th and 17th in his two career conference meets. Junior Michael Mortenson also tied for 17th at last season's MIAC meet. Junior Brian Parkhurst has won the final lineup spot.

Freshmen Alex Kapraun, Bennett Schroeder, Pat Larkin and Sam Reber have played well thus far. Kapraun and Schroeder have made UST's five-player lineup.
 
UST's varsity has a 302.1 stroke average through seven rounds. Leading the team have been Mortenson (74.7 average), Schroeder (75.9) and Kapraun (76.1), Young (77.3 season average) and Parkhurst (78.6) have experience on the Bunker Hills layout.

Mortenson is the reigning co-Player of the Week in the conference after his 71-76/147 polaced eighth in a field of 131 players last weekend at the University of Dubuque (Iowa) tournament.

The Tommies have played all the MIAC rivals close but will need to play with more consistency this weekend to contend to for a top-two finish.

Click here for MIAC Championships preview:

http://miac-online.org/news/2011/9/28/MGOLF_0928110259.aspx