Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Head to Arizona for Pioneer Classic
3/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After tying for fourth at the Hyatt Plantation Club Intercollegiate, the Indiana men's golf team heads to the Pioneer Classic, Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16, in Goodyear, Ariz. The University of Denver and Iowa State University will host the event at the Palm Valley Golf Club. The course is set up as a par 72 with a yardage of 7,015.
Participating Hoosiers
The Hoosiers will send a team of five players, including seniors Jeff Overton and Heath Peters, junior Brad Marek and freshman Santiago Quirarte. Four players will vie for the final spot, playing in a qualifier in Arizona before the tournament begins. Senior Mike Birkenfeld, juniors Scott Seibert and Oren Hodak, and sophomore walk-on Aaron Harrell are the golfers competing for the last spot in the line up. The remaining three players will compete as individuals at the Pioneer.
Overton, Peters and Marek will make their seventh starts in seven events this season, while Quirarte gets a nod in the starting rotation for the fifth straight tournament. Quirarte also played as an individual at the season-opening Radrick Farms Intercollegiate.
Tournament Information
The Indiana University men's golf team heads to the Pioneer Classic, Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16, in Goodyear, Ariz. The University of Denver and Iowa State University will host the event at the Palm Valley Golf Club. The course is set up as a par 72 with a yardage of 7,015.
The event consists of three rounds, 36 holes played on Tuesday and the final 18 holes taking place on Wednesday. Along with Indiana, Denver and Iowa State, 12 other teams will be competing at the event, including Air Force, Colorado State, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, UTEP, Utah, Wichita State and Wyoming.
Two of the teams in the field are currently ranked among the top 35 in Golfweek's poll, including Indiana at No. 35 New Mexico at No. 4.
Tournament play begins Tuesday, with a shotgun first-round (18) start at 8 a.m. (MT). The second round (18) starts with a shotgun start following the completion of round one. On Wednesday, the final round begins with shotgun tee times starting at 8 a.m.
Tournament Results
Complete tournament results will be made available on the web at IUHOOSIERS.com following the event. For more information, contact Jeff Keag at (812) 855-6209 or through e-mail at jkeag@indiana.edu.
Last Time Out
Wrapping up its first tournament of the 2005 spring season, the Indiana men's golf team tied for fourth place at the Hyatt Plantation Club Intercollegiate. The Hoosiers closed out the event at 877 (284-297-296), equaling Southern Mississippi. Kentucky won the tournament with 851, two shots ahead of Georgia Southern and six shots ahead of Georgia State.
All-American Jeff Overton tied for fifth place, the best finish of any Hoosier. The senior closed with a final-round 73 to give him a 3-under-par 213 total (70-70-73). Overton finished seven shots behind medalist winner Aron Price of Georgia Southern.
Brad Marek shot the low Hoosier-round on the final day with an even-par 72. The senior ended the Intercollegiate tied for 21st after scores of 72 and 76 in the first and second rounds, respectively.
Hoosiers In The Rankings
The Hoosiers are ranked No. 32 in Golfstat's rankings and No. 35 in Golfweek's ratings. IU is also ranked No. 7 in the Midwest District, with the top six teams automatically qualifying for NCAA Regionals.
Individually, senior Jeff Overton is rated No. 3 by Golfweek and Golfstat.
Since We Left Off
Following the conclusion of the fall portion of IU's schedule, senior Jeff Overton has continued to play in prestigious events and receive numerous accolades. Below is a look at what he has done since the fall season:
*He was named honorable mention for October's National Amateur of the Month by the Southern Golf Association. The senior All-American candidate also was named honorable mention in 2003 for the month of October.
*For the second straight season, Overton ascended to the top spot in Golfstat's collegiate golf rankings.
*Overton tied for 12th place at the 30th Annual Western Refining College All-America Golf Classic (Nov. 22-23), finishing with a three-round, 1-over-par 214 (72-67-75) total.
*He concluded his winter break with a come-from-behind victory at the New Year's Invitational at St. Petersburg Country Club on Jan. 6-9. The senior shot a four-round 275 total (69-68-71-67) to overtake Adam Scrimenti by one shot.
*Overton was named to the watch list for the 2005 Ben Hogan Award presented annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer.
*He finished tied for seventh at the prestigious Jones Cup Invitational, a preview of this summer's Walker Cup, on Feb. 18-20, at Ocean Forest Golf Club.
Mayer Announces Recruits
Indiana men's golf head coach Mike Mayer announced that Drew Allenspach (Sugar Land, Texas), Seth Brandon (Dalton, Ga.), Jorge Campillo (Caceres, Spain) and Brandon Pike (LaFontaine, Ind.) have signed letters of intent to attend Indiana University beginning in the fall semester of 2005.
"We are very excited that these four very talented young men have chosen to come to Indiana and become part of our family," said Mayer. "These four will continue to help us maintain the high level we are playing at and continue to build this program into a national contender."
Knapp Walking On
Columbus North High School graduate Aaron Knapp earned a spot as a freshman walk-on for the Indiana men's golf team. At Columbus North, Knapp finished 11th at the state championships in 2002 as a sophomore, 14th in 2003 and 19th in 2004. He was an all-state selection as a junior and closed out his high school career with a 76.03 scoring average.
The Columbus, Ind., native has yet to see any tournament action for IU, but he had success with his teammates at the New Year's Invitational on Jan. 6-9. Knapp finished tied for 35th, with fellow Hoosier Scott Seibert, at 295 (74-76-71-74).
Record-Breaking Event
The Xavier Invitational has been very good to the Hoosiers the past two years. At this year's event (Oct. 11-12), senior Jeff Overton fired an 11-under-par 61 in the final round, earning medalist honors, and leading the IU men's golf team to its first victory of the season.
Overton's round (11 birdies, one eagle) is the second-lowest round in NCAA history behind three golfers who have shot 60, including PGA Tour members Paul Casey and Bryce Molder and former Washington standout Brock Mackenzie.
With the round, Overton carded a new 54-hole IU record at 24-under-par 192 following rounds of 65 and 66 on day one. He shattered his old mark of 199 set at the 2003 49er Collegiate Classic. The Evansville, Ind., native now has six career titles after winning five tournaments last year.
Senior Heath Peters finished in second place with a 13-under-par 203, the fourth-lowest total in the program's history and a new personal best for the Garrett, Ind., product. Peters' second-place finish was the first of his career and his second-best career finish. He now has 15 career top 10s after his first top 10 this season.
Overton and Peters not only led the Hoosiers to their first title this season, but also their second consecutive championship at the Xavier Invitational. IU closed the event with a new school record of 30-under-par 834 (281-274-279), good for a 21-shot advantage over Saint Mary's (Calif.) and Wisconsin. Indiana won back-to-back tournaments at the same event for the first time since winning consecutive Big Ten Championships in 1974 and '75.
More Success At Xavier
In addition to the Overton and Peters, freshman Santiago Quirarte turned in his best tournament of the fall at Xavier. The Queretaro, Mexico, native finished tied for 18th with 216 (75-68-73). His finish, 54-hole total and 68 were all season bests. His 68 also was the lowest round by a freshman since Overton's 66 at the 2002 FirstEnergy Intercollegiate.
Joining Quirarte in 18th place was junior Scott Seibert. Playing as an individual in his second tournament of the season, Seibert ended the event with a 216 (72-70-74) total to match his low 54-hole record, which he shot at the 2002 Wolverine Invitational. The Chesterfield, Mo., product also fired a career-best 36-hole total of 142. Seibert's second-round 70 matched his second-lowest 18-hole mark (2004 Big Ten Championships).
Walters Earns Top 20
Playing in his first tournament this season and the second of his career, junior Aaron Walters tied for 19th at the Adams Cup, matching his finish at last season's Hoosier Invitational. Walters ended round two with a 74 after an opening-round 76. The Bloomington, Ind., native's finish guaranteed him a spot in the lineup at the Xavier Invitational.
Overton Surges To The Top
After an opening-round 78, Jeff Overton showed why he is an All-American candidate in the final two rounds at the Central Regional Preview. The Evansville, Ind., rebounded with a 70 in round two before firing a 4-under 66 in the final round, the lowest round in the tournament. The senior finished tied for second at the event.
Overton carded a 66 for the third time in his career, and the score is his third-lowest career score (64, one time; 65 two times). He now has 16 career top five's and 21 career top 10's.
Marek Goes Low
Junior Brad Marek closed out the Michigan-Radrick Farms Intercollegiate on a high note, firing a career-best 69 in the closing round of the event. The junior's previous low round came at the 2003 El Diablo 21-Man Invite (70). Marek's round was the lowest round of any Hoosier in the event and moved him into a tie for 24th.
The Arlington Heights, Ill., native ended the event with 221 (75-77-69), matching the second-best 54-hole score of his career.
No Break For Overton
Following his All-American campaign last season, Jeff Overton continued his success into the summer, culminating with a run to the semifinals at the U.S. Amateur. After winning his first four matches to advance to the semifinals, Overton lost to the defending NCAA champion and UNLV senior Ryan Moore, 2 and 1, at Winged Foot Golf Club, host of the 2006 U.S. Open.
In addition to his performance at the U.S. Amateur, Overton got a taste of international competition. The Evansville, Ind., native won two matches as the United States defeated Japan at the 2004 Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships.
Overton also finished second at the prestigious Porter Cup, one shot behind New Mexico junior Spencer Levin. Additionally, the Big Ten Player of the Year won his second straight Indiana State Amateur title, making him the fourth person to win back-to-back titles since the championship switched to stroke play in 1973.
Banner Season
After returning to the NCAA Tournament last season, expectations are high for the Indiana men's golf team entering the 2004-05 season. The 2003-04 squad advanced to the NCAA Central Regionals in West Lafayette, Ind., finishing tied for 20th at the event.
Last season was a breakthrough year for the Hoosiers. In addition to advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign, IU captured four team titles, the second most in the school's history.
