Golden Flashes Ranked Top 30 In Golf World/Nike Preseason Coaches’ Poll

KSU returns everyone from last season's East Regional and MAC Championship team

KENT, Ohio – Primed for another run at the NCAA Championship, the Kent State men's golf team will begin the 2010-11 season with some preseason accolades in tow.  The Golden Flashes received 26 votes in the preseason edition of the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches' Poll ranking the program 30th in the nation.   

Kent State returns everyone from a team that claimed the fifth top 20 NCAA finish in school history last year.  Leading the charge is two-time All-American John Hahn (Las Vegas, Nev./Hudson H.S. [Ohio]).  Heading into his senior season this fall, Hahn has thus far compiled a 72.35 career scoring average, ranking him second to only Ben Curtis in the KSU record book.  Last week at the U.S. Amateur, he tied for 13th in stroke play and made it to round of 16 in match-play before being knocked out by eventual champ Peter Uihlein on the 19th hole.  

After capturing both the NCAA East Regional and Mid-American Conference titles last season the Golden Flashes earned the distinction of being the fourth-youngest team at the NCAA Championship.  In addition, Kent State was the only school not from the Big 12 or Pac 10 to win a Regional title last year.  

Along with Hahn, the Golden Flashes also welcome back 2010 MAC Player of the Year Brett Cairns (Courtland, Ontario/Holy Trinty).  Cairns shared medalist honors at two events last season and tied for the nation's lowest individual round with a 62 (-10) at The Traditions Course in the Aggie Invitational in April.  A senior this fall, he joined Hahn during Kent State's run to a sixth-place NCAA finish in 2008.  Junior Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ontario/Highland Secondary) is back as well after being named First Team All-MAC last year.  Hughes is coming off a successful amateur circuit this summer that included a fifth place finish at the Canadian Men's Amateur and a 10th place showing in the Porter Cup.  Hahn, Cairns and Hughes were all named to the GCAA PING All-Region team last year, marking the first time that KSU had three all-region selections since current professionals Curtis (PGA Tour), Jon Mills (Nationwide Tour) and Dany Sahl (Canadian Tour) were honored in 2000.  

The rest of the line-up includes reigning MAC Freshman of the Year, Kevin Miller (Dover, Ohio/Sugarcreek Garaway), who tied for fourth at the NCAA East Regional, senior J.P. Paiment (Des Ruisseaux, Quebec/Polyvalente St. Joseph), another U.S. Amateur qualifier and sophomore Isaac Charette (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), who was in the line-up for the Golden Flashes entire post season run.  In addition, senior John Furlong (Medina, Ohio/Medina) and sophomore Nathan Tarter (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) are also back.

The veterans are joined by incoming freshmen Corey Conners (Listowel, Ontario), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ontario) and Augie Ward (Hinckley, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit).  

The 2010-11 season begins Sept. 12-13 at the Gopher Invitational hosted by Minnesota at Spring Hill Golf Club.