March 24, 2004

Cleveland - After carding a 12th-place finish at the only tournament this week, Cleveland State freshman Mike Rutgers has been named the spring's first Horizon League Men's Golfer of the Week for March 24, the league office announced.

Rutgers led the Vikings in scoring with a 149 (73-76) at the Kingsmill/William and Mary Invitational on Monday and Tuesday. He shot a spring-low 73 in blustery conditions on the opening day and finished with a 76 to guide the CSU squad to a ninth place showing out of a 22-team field.

"There's no better freshman in the conference right now," head coach Tom Porten said. "He's going to be mentioned on the all-league teams at the end of the season with the year he has had."

Rutgers leads CSU with a 76.2 average in two tournaments this spring. His 75.4 average in the fall was also the team-best, as he carded a career-low round of 70 at the Butler Fall Invitational on Sept. 22.

The Vikings will next be in action when they host the Cleveland State Invitational on April 2-3 at Red Tail Golf Club in Avon, Ohio.