Webster Edges Illinois as SLIAC Men's Golf Favorites

Five-time defending SLIAC Champion Webster University is the favorite for the 2023 men's golf season. The Gorloks picked up 92 total points from the coaches including seven first-place votes. Head Coach Brad Smith stepped into the program last season to guide the Gorloks to a championship, the 11th in program history. Despite the departure of All-American Will Hocker, he reloads with 2021 SLIAC individual champion Justin McCoy and newcomer Jan Wdowka. McCoy, a junior, won the individual title two years ago and carried a 75.2 average this fall with a low round of 69. Wdowka is in his first year with the Gorloks and stepped right into the lineup, averaging a team-low 73.7 strokes per round this fall and picking up four top finishes with two rounds of 69. Trent Garrett, Cody Surma, and Austen Velazquez all carry averages in the 70s as well.

Illinois College was picked 2nd with 90 points and received three first-place selections. The Blue Boys are aiming to become the first affiliate member to win the SLIAC Championship. They are coming off the program's highest-ever finish at the championship, placing 3rd last year, and were the most active team in the league this fall with seven events. They carried a 306.5 team average this fall with five top-five finishes. New head coach Josh Edison takes over the program which boasts a deep roster of 18 golfers. Jarrett James led the team with four top finishes, including one win, this fall and holds a 74.6 average. Cole Bartels (79.2), Nathan Ellis (79.0), and Peter Hauser (78.5) all picked up individual wins this fall. Dane Huber, Andrew McKillip, Tobin Neil, Tanner Romine, and Tre Wahlig all hold averages in the 70s. New faces are Ashton Sutton, Vaughn Bernhardt, and Dylan Clark.

Spalding University was chosen 3rd with 76 points. The Golden Eagles picked up two tournament wins this past fall with Kendall Hale pacing the team during his graduate student year. Hale holds a 74.8 average and had two top finishes and one win during the fall. He carded a low round of 70 and finished second at last year's championship. Nolan Keeler had a team-best round of 69 this past fall and holds a 76.4 average. Andrew Bennett (77.0) and Coby Johnson (76.1) return to the lineup as well. The top newcomers for head coach Jeff Nelson are Jack Tieman and Taylor Coleman. The Golden Eagles held a 305.8 team average this past fall.

Receiving the final first-place vote and 73 total points, finishing 4th on the poll, is Lake Forest College. Head Coach Brian Bruha returns his entire lineup that finished 2nd at last year's conference championship including seniors James Johnson and Jack Dwyer. Johnson averaged 78.5 strokes per round during the fall while Dwyer averaged 78.9 and tied for the team lead with two top finishes. Luke Duffer also had two top finishes and holds a 78.4 average while Ryan Higgins had two top finishes and leads the team with a 77.9 average. Chris Petri is back after a solid first season and averaged 79.1 strokes per round this fall. 

Knox College was picked 5th with 71 points. The Prairie Fire has an experienced roster with a trio of seniors leading the way: Patrick Mattar, Brendan Wise, and Harrison Phillips. Mattar leads the team with a 75.4 average while Wise is just behind at a 75.6 average. They combined for three top-team finishes this fall while Phillips carries a 79.1 average. Gabriel Newman, a freshman, showed immediate promise this fall by winning the Fighting Scot Invite and picking up three top finishes. Jack Wilkie also notched a win during the fall and holds a 78.5 average. Head Coach K.C. Harding and the Prairie Fire had six top-five finishes during the fall with two tournament wins and a 303.4 team average.

Grinnell College tallied 57 points. The Pioneers will be a young team with just two seniors, one junior, and four sophomores filling out the lineup. Head Coach Brian Jaworski brings in freshmen Thornton Walker and Henry Horn to the program. Hayden Somach led the team with a 77.8 average this fall while Eshaan Sethi (79.5) and Walker (79.5) are the only other Pioneers to carry a score below 80. Others working their way into the lineup will be Kevin Carpenter, Luke McCann, and Ian Strawn. The Pioneers held a 322.0 team average this fall through three events.

Fontbonne University picked up 48 total points.  Cody McKinney leads the team with a 74.5 average, leading the team in all five events this fall with a low round of 71. Lake Deppe (80.8) and Cole Deppe (83.0) are other returners for head coach Lance Thornhill. Adam Cash, Alex Kueker, Jackson Morrissey, and JP Ruble join the program this year and got some action in during the fall. Kueker led the group with an 83.4 stroke average. 

Finishing in 8th on the poll is Monmouth College with 35 points. Head Coach Cory Bizarri will lean on his two seniors; Ryan Prusak and Noah Shields. Prusak held an 81.0 average this past fall, leading the team in two events and carding a team-best low round of 73. Noah Shields averaged 84.1 strokes per round during the fall while sophomore Ganon Greenman led the team with a 76.7 average. Briggs Bossert and Thomas Henson are two new faces that combined to play in seven events during the fall.

Blackburn College received 30 total points. Justin Atkinson will slot in the first lineup spot for the Beavers this spring. The sophomore averaged 99.5 strokes per round this fall and is the most experienced golfer on the team. He is joined by a trio of freshmen in Bryce Wrightsman, Kevin Hall, and Dylan Best. Hall had a team-low average of 78.3 this fall while Wrightsman was at a 79.8 average. The team held a 338.3 team average over three events this fall.

Westminster College finished 10th with 20 points. Head Coach Todd Creal turns to juniors Ben Scheve and Cole Lehman to lead the team this spring. Joining the program are freshmen Collin Siebel and Connor Siebel. 

Eureka College closes out the poll with 13 total points.

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