
Top Stories of 2019-20: Men’s Golfers Make Opening Statement at Golfweek Event
June 29, 2020 | Men's Golf
MUNCIE, Ind. -- While the 2019-20 year of competition may have been cut short by COVID-19, there were still plenty of accomplishments to celebrate in Ball State Athletics.
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top storylines of the year. We will unveil each of them one-by-one in the coming days.
The stories will be revealed in chronological order, starting with the fall season. We begin today with a look back at a monumental win and an all-time high national ranking for the men's golf program.
Men's Golf Team Soars into Top 20 with Runaway Golfweek Victory
The Ball State men's golf team opened its 2019-20 season in emphatic fashion in September at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In a field loaded with NCAA Regional teams from a year before, the Cardinals were simply dominant.
Ball State opened the event with a 9-under-par round and never trailed over three days at Cedar Rapids Country Club. The Cardinals stretched their lead from four shots to 11 on day two and went on to win by 15 for the program's largest margin of victory since 2009.
Sophomore Joey Ranieri made just one bogey in 54 holes for the week, carding three straight under-par rounds to lead the way for Ball State with a career-best runner-up finish among the 93 golfers in the field.
Given the quality of the competition – 10 NCAA teams from the previous spring – and the margin of victory, head coach Mike Fleck called it arguably the best win of any BSU team in his 22 seasons leading the program.
The win catapulted the Cardinals to an all-time high mark in the initial Golfweek national rankings. The team checked in at No. 20 overall and ranked third among programs from non-power five conferences. The program's previous best ranking was No. 27 by Golfstat during a 2012-13 season that culminated with a trip to the NCAA Championships.
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top storylines of the year. We will unveil each of them one-by-one in the coming days.
The stories will be revealed in chronological order, starting with the fall season. We begin today with a look back at a monumental win and an all-time high national ranking for the men's golf program.
Men's Golf Team Soars into Top 20 with Runaway Golfweek Victory
The Ball State men's golf team opened its 2019-20 season in emphatic fashion in September at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In a field loaded with NCAA Regional teams from a year before, the Cardinals were simply dominant.
Ball State opened the event with a 9-under-par round and never trailed over three days at Cedar Rapids Country Club. The Cardinals stretched their lead from four shots to 11 on day two and went on to win by 15 for the program's largest margin of victory since 2009.
Sophomore Joey Ranieri made just one bogey in 54 holes for the week, carding three straight under-par rounds to lead the way for Ball State with a career-best runner-up finish among the 93 golfers in the field.
Given the quality of the competition – 10 NCAA teams from the previous spring – and the margin of victory, head coach Mike Fleck called it arguably the best win of any BSU team in his 22 seasons leading the program.
The win catapulted the Cardinals to an all-time high mark in the initial Golfweek national rankings. The team checked in at No. 20 overall and ranked third among programs from non-power five conferences. The program's previous best ranking was No. 27 by Golfstat during a 2012-13 season that culminated with a trip to the NCAA Championships.
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