March 9, 2012

Contact: Greg Murphy

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State men's golf team opens its spring season when the Vikings compete at the BenBow Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla., on Monday and Tuesday (March 12-13).

"We are excited to be able to open the spring season and get outside and play some rounds," head coach Steve Weir said. "I think we were getting a little cabin fever because there is only so much you can do indoors. I am excited to see what kind of improvements this group has made from the fall."

The Vikings enjoyed a solid fall season, including three consecutive top five finishes to end the season. CSU was third of 10 teams at the John Piper Invitational, second of 14 squads at the CSU Invitational and tied for fifth of 15 teams at the UC Bearcat Invitational.

"We put together some really good rounds at the conclusion of the fall season and I think we will be able to carry that momentum over to the spring," Weir said. "The guys have been working hard over the winter and I feel that we are a little ahead of where I thought we would be at this point."

The duo of junior Michael Klaric and sophomore Andrew Bailey paced the Vikings in the spring. Last year, they both earned first team All-Horizon League honors and were co-medalists at the Horizon League Championship.

Klaric, who also tied for eighth place at the NCAA Regionals last year, averaged 73.8 per round in the fall, including five rounds of par or better, tied with Bailey for most on the team.

Bailey led the team with a 73.4 scoring average, including a low round of 68 at the CSU Invitational at Canterbury C.C., allowing him to win the event that was shortened to 18 holes.

After the event, the Vikings will remain in Florida and compete at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Fla., from March 19-20.