Men's Golf | April 27

GROVE CITY, Ohio – Led by a four-under par 68 from sophomore Craig Long (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton), the Northern Illinois University men's golf team tied for first place in the first round of the 2025 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championship Sunday at Pinnacle Golf Club.
 
The Huskies had a team score of three-under par 285 on Sunday, tying NIU with Eastern Michigan for first place. Kent State is in third place after an even par 288 with Toledo in fourth at +1.
 
"This is a strong start on the biggest stage," said head coach John Carlson. "It was a total team effort. Pinnacle plays 7,400 yards with thick rough so three-under par as a team today shows our toughness and ability to play the par-fours well. Craig Long capitalized on a great ball striking day to card a 68."
 
Long was one-over par through his first seven holes on Sunday. He birdied the par-four eighth and made the turn at even par. Long made an eagle at the par-five 11^th to get to two-under. He finished his round with birdies at 15 and 18 to cap his four-under par 68, Long's lowest round of the season. He is in second place after the first round, one stroke back of Eastern Michigan's James Baxter who shot a 67.
 
Ben Sluzas (Lockport, Ill./Lockport) and Beau Petersen (Gretna, Neb./Gretna) are also in the top-10 individually after both golfers carded even-par rounds of 72. Petersen was two-over after back-to-back bogeys on holes six and seven. He rebounded with birdies at the eighth and on 11 to finish even on the day. Sluzas had three birdies in his round including at 18 to get him back to even par.
 
Felix Krammer (Waakirchen, Germany/Arkansas State) rounded out the scoring group for NIU with a one-over par 73 that put him in a tie for 13^th. Patrick Raupp (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) posted a six-over par 78 that put him tied for 37^th.
 
The second round of the MAC Championship on Monday, April 28 begins at 8 a.m. CT.
 
--NIU--