After a 7-over-par first round of 285, the Kent State men’s golf team played the best two rounds of the tournament to win their first title of the season at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Indiana, last weekend.  

The Flashes scored a 10-under-par 278 in the second round and a 9-under 279 in the third. They were the only rounds under 280 in the tournament by any team. The final round helped Kent erase the 7-strong lead of No. 6 University of Illinois. 

“We got off to a bit of a slow start the first round, but then something clicked,” said coach Jon Mills.  “They all came out strong that second round and then it just kept going. From there, we kept making birdies on some of the par fives. More importantly, we played the par threes a little better.”

The team finished with a total score of 12-under 852, beating 15 other teams, including Illinois and No. 36 Ohio State University. Kent State had been ranked 47th in the country going into the tournament.

“It got pretty close there with Illinois, and I give all the credit to the guys for hanging in there and finishing off the holes because it was a shotgun start,” Mills said. “I tried to stress that there’s a lot of things you can’t control, and there’s no point wasting energy or complaining. So, they did a great job.”

Kent State junior Jared Wilson finished in second place with a total score of 8-under 208. Sophomore Cade Breitenstin finished in third place with a total score of 4-under 212. 

“Cade just keeps getting better and better, and he has been very consistent for us,” said Mills. “He works hard, and you can see it is paying off.

“Jared was unbelievable,” said Mills. “He was coming in as a five man, and to get that out of a five man is amazing. That doesn’t happen all the time. He made a bunch of birdies right near the end. From that point on, something switched for him. He didn’t make any bogey’s the last two rounds, which having a bogey-free round to begin, which is tough. He had two (birdies) in a row on a very tough golf course.”

Sophomore Chris VAndetted tied for 14th with a 1-under 215. Senior Josh Gilkison tied for 30th at 4-above 22, and junior Julien Paltrinieri tied for 38th at 222. 

The team will compete again in the Rutherford Intercollegiate hosted by Penn State April 17-18.

Pilar is a sports reporter. Contact her at [email protected].