Adelaide Street Field | Illinois State University Athletics
Adelaide Street Field | Illinois State University Athletics
Illinois State University's men's golf team claimed the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship, marking their second title in the past three seasons. The Redbirds secured victory with a final round of 285, tying for the lowest round of the day, and ending the tournament with a total of 856, ahead of runner-up Murray State, who finished with 859. Other teams included Belmont (866), Drake (873), and Valparaiso (875) among others.
Post-tournament accolades were distributed by the MVC, with TJ Barger and Alex McCulla both receiving All-MVC honors. Ray Kralis, the Redbirds' head coach, was recognized as the MVC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year, bringing his career total to five.
TJ Barger led his team with a three-round total of 209, the second lowest in the program's MVC tournament history, only surpassed by Felix van Dijk's 204 in 2023. Barger finished third individually. Freshman Max Faucquez tied for 10th place with 216, Pietro Pontiggia was 12th with 217, Alex McCulla 13th with 218, and Will Troy tied for 25th with 223, following a final-round score of 70.
In the final round, Barger achieved a 68. Troy, Faucquez, Pontiggia, and McCulla contributed with scores of 70, 73, and two 74s, respectively.
This victory marks the first time since 2019 that both men's and women's teams from the same school won the MVC titles, and the first time since 2005 for a Redbirds sweep.
The Redbird men's golf team will learn about their regional destination on Wednesday, April 30.
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