The Miami University golf team faced a field full of ranked opponents for the second consecutive weekend, as the RedHawks finished tied for 12th place in the 15-team field.
The 'Hawks competed in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday and Sunday in the Boilermaker Invitational.
After one round of golf Saturday, the 'Hawks were sitting pretty in second place. However, things went downhill after that.
"We played our way from second all the way to ninth and twelfth," head coach Zac Zedrick said. "We were three or four shots behind [first place] after the first round. We didn't even play great golf; it was just a solid round by the team. That's the kind of golf we're capable of playing."
Freshman Greg Conrad led the RedHawks in the first round and the tournament, shooting a two-under-par 70 in the first round, en route to tie for 39th overall in the tournament.
"In the first round when I missed, I missed in the right places," Conrad said. "I was making the putts that I should've made. I put myself on the fairway a lot, and I was able to make some birdies as a result of that. Overall, I just got the ball in the hole well and putted well in the first round."
No. 41 University of Iowa won the tournament, shooting one-over-par as a team. Other ranked teams included No. 9 University of Illinois, No. 14 UCLA, No. 32 Kent State University, No. 39 Purdue University and No. 49 Northwestern University.
Conrad said his solid first round and tournament will help him moving forward.
"[My tournament] definitely does a lot for my confidence," Conrad said. "I've been in some really tough fields before in my junior career, and I'm starting to really come around here this spring over the past month or so. It boosts my confidence and shows me that I can play with some of the best players in the country. It was a great experience as a freshman, so I know how to react to that situation when I'm there again."
Senior Mark MacDonald, junior Scott Cahill and sophomore Jack Sparling all finished the tournament tied for 52nd overall, while sophomore Daniel Schwarz finished tied for 62nd overall.
The 'Hawks have two weeks of rest before heading to Carmel, Ind. for the Mid-American Conference Championships.
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After seeing almost eight months of golf alongside his teammates, Conrad thinks it is time for the 'Hawks to soar.
"I think we just need to try put it all together," Conrad said. "We've all shown that we can hit the great shots and we can shoot for low scores. I think the key is to be a little more consistent with it and to get it on the same day. We all know we can do it, we just need to keep believing, and put it all together on that same day."
As the 'Hawks prepare in the two weeks leading up to the MAC Championship, the focus will be on one team and one team only: Miami.
"At this point we've seen all of the MAC schools, we've seen them all," Zedrick said. "We've just got to focus on us. That's the same thing I've been saying all year. We just need to focus on us, and taking care of our business. I'm convinced that if we do that, we're going to be in great shape."
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