CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State men's golf team will be after a "three-peat" at the Horizon League Championship this weekend.
Winners of the last two League titles, the Vikings set out to claim their seventh title over the last 11 years at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., from Friday through Sunday (April 22-24).
CSU has captured League titles in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015.
At last year's championship, the Vikings led wire-to-wire, carding rounds of 293-304-309 to top runner-up Oakland by 10 shots with a strong finish over the final nine holes. CSU played the back nine to six-over-par for the championship last year.
Michael Balcar and Mitchell Moore both earned spots on the all-tournament team last year by finishing in the top-six. Balcar tied for first place before falling on the second playoff hole, while Moore finished fourth overall.
This year's squad is one of the deepest, most balanced teams in program history with all five players being CSU's top finisher in at least one event this year. In addition, the Vikings' 293.7 scoring average is the lowest in program history by more than three shots. The 2007-08 team holds the current record at 296.8.
The Vikings have finished in the top-two of their last four events, including a victory at the Villanova Wildcat Invitational (March 28-29) when CSU rallied from a 13 stroke deficit with a final round 291. CSU was also the runner-up at the Davidson Invitational (Feb. 29-March 1), the Wright State Invitational (April 4-5) and the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational (April 15-16).
Sophomore Joey Krecic leads the team with a 73.4 scoring average and has won two events this year. Krecic, who has 10 rounds of par or better this year, has posted four top-five finishes overall.
Sophomore Blake Prince is second on the team with a 74.0 scoring average, which includes a pair of top-five finishes and six rounds of par or better. Juniors Patrick Luth and Paul Minko are averaging 74.8, while Moore, a senior, has a 75.1 scoring average, ranking second on the team with eight rounds of par or better.
The winner of the League championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA regionals which will take place from May 16-18 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Tucson, Ariz., Kohler, Wis., Albuquerque, N.M., Stillwater, Okla., and Nashville, Tenn.
The selection show is scheduled for Thursday (May 5) at 9:30 am on the Golf Channel.
