McLean County Times

The Illinois State University men's golf team concluded its participation in the 2025 Border Olympics, finishing tied for 14th place. The event was hosted by Houston in Laredo, Texas.

Louisiana led from start to finish, winning the tournament with a team score of 855. New Mexico and Houston both scored 861, followed by Michigan at 863 and Rice at 865. Other teams that placed ahead of ISU included Miami (870), Lipscomb (872), Sam Houston (872), Troy (874), Louisiana Monroe (880), Augusta (888), Wright State (895), and UTRGV (897). ISU's final score was 898, tying with Lamar and placing them ahead of Houston Christian, which finished with a score of 908.

ISU's top performer was TJ Barger, who tied for 27th place after completing his round with a one-over-par score of 72. His final round featured five birdies and eight pars. Alex McCulla tied for 53rd place overall, ending his play with a third-round score of 77 (+6) that included ten pars and one birdie.

Pietro Pontiggia showed improvement throughout the tournament, closing with a one-over-par score of 72 on the final day to tie for 64th place. Will Troy finished tied for 71st after scoring six-over-par in his last round. Jack Paeglow completed the tournament tied for 76th following an eight-over-par performance in the final round.

The team is set to compete next at the Dorado Beach Collegiate in Puerto Rico on February 23-25, an event hosted by UNC Greensboro.

For more information about Illinois State sports events and updates, visit GoRedbirds.com or download the Illinois State Redbirds App.