No. 18 Kent State Has Sights Set On Fourth Straight MAC Championship May 4-6
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MAC Championship Record Book (.PDF)
No. 18 Kent State heads to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. for the 66th Mid-American Conference Championship this weekend May 4-6. The Golden Flashes have their sight set on capturing a fourth straight and 20th conference title.
The 72-hole event gets started with 36-holes of play on Friday, followed by 18 each on Saturday and Sunday.
The Golden Flashes have won four tournament titles in 11 events this season. The team is coming off a third place finish at the Boilermaker Invitational April 21-22.
Rich Harvest Farms was home to the 2009 Solheim Cup and last hosted the MAC Championship in 2003 when Kent State won with a four-round score of 1174 (298-298-290-288).
Fans can follow the action live through www.golfstat.com
Golden Flashes Line-Up
Representing the Golden Flashes in the count-four format this week are senior Mackenzie Hughes, junior Kevin Miller, and sophomores Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners, Kyle Kmiecik.
The Field
In addition to Kent State, the nine-team MAC Championship field includes Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami, Northern Illinois, Ohio and Toledo.
The Forcast
Friday: Scattered thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. Warm. High near 80F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Partly cloudy with a stray thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s.
Sunday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the mid 50s.
2011 Championship Recap
Kent State secured its third straight and men's golf record 19th Mid-American Conference Championship by posting a 29-stroke victory with a four round total of 1151 (292-271-292-292) at TPC River's Bend. Mackenzie Hughes claimed individual medalist honors with a four-under 284 (70-67-73-74) earning him a two shot victory over teammate John Hahn as the Golden Flashes had four players finish in the top 10.
Hughes and Hahn were joined in the top 10 by Brett Cairns, who shot a two-over 292 (70-70-76-76) to place fourth, and Kevin Miller who finished ninth with a four-round total of 296 (76-70-76-74).
Ball State was the runner up with an 1180 followed by Eastern Michigan in third with an 1198. Akron (1200), Miami (1213), Northern Illinois (1216), Bowling Green (1221), Toledo (1229) and Ohio (1247) rounded out the team standings.
Hughes, Hahn and Cairns all earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
With the victory, Kent State has now won 15 of the last 20 MAC Championships.
Up Next
The winner of the 2012 MAC Championship will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals, which will be hosted at Greensboro, N.C., Athens, Ga., Ann Arbor, Mich., Bowling Green, Ky., Norman, Okla., and Stanford Calif. May 17-19. The top five teams at each regional site will advance to the NCAA Championship June 1-3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
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Mackenzie HughesSeniorDundas, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 113 2011-12 Stroke Average: 73.0 Lowest round in 2011-12: 65 Irish Creek Collegiate (2nd round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (69-68-70=207) Notes: Has four top 10 finishes in 11 events this season • Took third at the Gopher Invitational to start the year and tied for third again at the Irish Creek Collegiate • Won the 2011 Canadian Men's Amateur Championship • Qualified for match-play at the 2011 U.S. Amateur • Member of Team Canada's National Squad • Recognized by Golf Canada as the top male amateur golfer for 2011 |
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Kevin MillerJuniorDover, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 187 2011-12 Stroke Average: 73.6 Lowest round in 2011-12: 68 Irish Creek Collegiate (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (68-69-74=212) Notes: Took fourth place at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate with rounds of 77-72-72=222) • Named the MAC Golfer of the Week (Oct. 26) • In a 14-team event that included 11 teams ranked in the top 30 by golfstat.com, Miller tied for 10th with a season low 2-under 214 (69-74-71) at the U.S. Collegiate • Ended the fall placing 13th or higher in each of the last four tournaments • Birdied four of his last at holes to finish tied for 10th at the Bank of Tennessee • Finished a team best T12 at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational that included 10 of the top 55 schools in the nation • Was a First Team All-MAC selection in 2011 • Advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship this past summer |
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Taylor PendrithSophomoreRichmond Hill, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 66 2011-12 Stroke Average: 72.5 Lowest round in 2011-12: 65 Barona Collegiate Cup (1st Round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Barona Collegiate Cup (65-72-68=205) Notes: Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week four times this season (Oct. 19; Mar. 30, April 4) • Has five top 10s and nine top 25s in 11 events on the year • Finished runner-up in the Barona Collegiate Cup with 11 under par • Finished runner-up at the Inverness Intercollegiate with a one-under 70 • Shot a non-competitive course record 62 at Windmill Lakes in a team qualifer on Sept. 4 |
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Corey ConnersSophomoreListowel, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 97 2011-12 Stroke Average: 72.3 Lowest round in 2011-12: 66 Barona Collegiate Cup (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Desert Intercollegiate (67-75-68=210) Notes: Finished in the top 25 in eight of his nine events this season • Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week two times (Oct. 19; Mar. 2) • Finished runner-up by a single stroke at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in Kent State's first event this spring • Tied for third at the Bank of Tennessee (75-71-70=216) • Was in the Kent State line-up at the Inverness Intercollegiate shooting a 74 • Particpiated in 10 events last season averaging 75.57 strokes per round • Shot a final round 75 and had two counters in three rounds for the team at the 2011 NCAA Championship |
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Kyle KmiecikSophomoreAvon, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 228 2011-12 Stroke Average: 74.1 Lowest round in 2011-12: 67 Bank of Tennessee (3rd Round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (69-68-70=207) Notes: Has three top 10 finishes in nine events this season (Inverness Intercollegiate, Bank of Tennessee and Irish Creek Collegiate) • Transfered to Kent State from Ole Miss • Fired a season low and a field best 67 in the final round of the Bank of Tennessee to finish tied for 10th • Shot a 72 and finished tied for seventh at the Inverness Intercollegiate in first round with the Golden Flashes this season • In High School he had top 10 finishes in the Ohio State Championship in 2007, 2008 and 2009 • Ranked the No.1 player in Ohio for 2010 |
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