DeKALB, IL – Northern Illinois University head men's golf coach John Carlson announced on Wednesday the signing of Ben Sluzas, the top-ranked golfer in Illinois by GolfWeek and Junior Golf Scoreboard, to a National Letter of Intent to join the Huskies.
 
"We're excited to welcome the Sluzas family to Huskies Golf," Carlson said. "Ben possesses a work ethic and championship resume reminiscent of the best players I have coached. He has impressed our coaching staff with his competitive drive, maturity and discipline."
 
Sluzas is currently ranked 12^th in the class of 2021 nationally by Junior Golf Scoreboard. The Lockport, Ill. native is a two-time Illinois High School Association Class 3A individual state champion, winning in 2018 as a sophomore and again 2019 to be the first boys golfer to win back-to-back Class 3A titles since the state expanded to three classes in golf in 2007. His individual state title wins helped vault Lockport Township High School to a third place state finish in 2018 and a sixth place in 2019.
 
"I am very excited to be signing with NIU and I look forward to playing for Coach Carlson and Coach Frame next fall," Sluzas said. "I saw a lot of potential in a great golf program at NIU. NIU has a great business school and to have access to an amazing facility like Rich Harvest Farms made NIU the perfect fit for me. Coach Carlson believed in my playing ability from day one and I am very excited for the opportunity to help win championships at NIU."
 
In 2019, Sluzas added a Southwest Suburban Conference Blue individual championship as Lockport Township won its second consecutive team title. He was named the conference's Boys Golf Player of the Year as well as the Shaw Media Northern Illinois Most Valuable Athlete for boys golf. This past summer Sluzas was the medalist at the 2020 Illinois State Junior Amateur, winning by two strokes with a 54-hole score of even par 213. Sluzas also won the Mid-American Junior Golf Tour event at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point, Ind. in June by 11 strokes.
 
"Recruits that have been highly ranked nationally dating back to the 1950s have signed to play for NIU," said Carlson. "Ben has earned the right to add his name to this list of proud alumni and current student-athletes."
 
--NIU--