April 30, 2010

Day One Results

NASHPORT, Ohio - Matt Triplett and Jeff Dick posted Northern Illinois' lowest rounds on Friday during the first two rounds of the 2010 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championships.

The NIU men's golf team stands in ninth place after turning in rounds of 311 and 313. The Huskies (624, +48) are three strokes behind eighth-place Toledo and four from seventh-place Bowling Green. Host Kent State (578, +2) leads the tournament at Longaberger Golf Club.

Triplett (78 (+6) | 74 (+2) | 152 (+8)) finished lowest for the Huskies during the first half of the championships. The senior, who also topped NIU's 36-hole leaderboard at last spring's MAC Championships, holds down a tie for 17th. Dick (73 (+1) | 80 (+8) | 153 (+9)) sits in a tie for 21st going into moving day. Dick's first round 73 was the Huskies' lowest round on Friday.

Kurtis Luedtke (81 (+9) | 77 (+5) | 158 (+14)) is in a tie for 32nd after his MAC Championships debut rounds. Griffin Bauman (79 (+7) | 83 (+11) | 162 (+18)) is in 43rd going into Saturday's third round. Paul Hammerschmidt (81 (+9) | 82 (+10) | 163 (+19)) rounds out NIU's lineup in 44th place.

"Kurtis played well this afternoon," said NIU head coach Tom Porten. "I was pleased with the way he battled the wind and improved his score in the second round. In his last conference championships, we'd certainly be in a lot of trouble without Matt Triplett.

"We are going to get back at it tomorrow and close the gap, move past Toledo and Bowling Green."

The Huskies will play the third round of the 72-hole tournament Saturday morning at the par 72, 7,243-yard course.