By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Golf turned in an impressive fourth-place finish at the MIAA Championships, held at the Jefferson City Country Club from April 22-23. The tournament course featured a par-72 layout spanning 6,822 yards. Cole Strecksecured a 4th-place finish in the tournament, posting a score of 4-under par overall to lead the Tigers. Both Streck and Cooper Scheck earned All-MIAA honors for the season, finishing among the Top 15 of the individual points standings for MIAA designated events throughout the year.
The Tigers wrapped up the event 7-over par overall with a total of 871 strokes across three rounds. The Tigers made a big charge up the standings after sitting in a tie for 10th after the first round, going 10-under par as a team over the final two rounds. FHSU recorded 36 birdies, 176 pars, and tied for the most eagles with a pair from Streck. An 11-under par 277 total in round two matched the lowest total score by the team this year, but was the lowest score of the season for FHSU in relation to par. The 11-under par was the team’s lowest in relation to par since an 11-under performance in the final round at the Firekeeper Open in 2024. Three of the four players contributing to the team score in round two were under par for the round, led by Jackson Rader’soutstanding 6-under par 66.
Streck delivered the standout individual performance, finishing 4-under par in the tournament. He shot a 1-over par 73 in the opening round, but then caught fire and shot 5-under over his final 36 holes. He shot a 4-under par 68 in the second round and then a 1-under 71 in the final round. He had the second-best mark on par-5 holes, which he played 7-under par, and finished with 10 birdies and a pair of eagles. Streck momentarily moved into the lead at 6-under par overall through 40 holes overall, but eventually finished fourth individually. The strong performance in the tournament solidified his place on the All-MIAA Team finishing eighth in the individual points standings after entering the tournament right inside the top 15.
Rader showcased the best individual score by a Tiger in the tournament, posting a 6-under par 66 in the second round with seven birdies, one bogey, and 10 pars. He finished the tournament tied for sixth at 2-under par, giving the Tigers two top-10 performers in the tournament. He finished round one with a 4-over par 76 and then surged his way back with the incredible round-two score. He then shot even par (72) in the final round. Rader excelled on the par-3s, boasting an average stroke count of 2.92, tied for second in the field. He also tied Streck for most birdies on the team with 10.
Cooper Scheck posted rounds of 78, 73, and 73, finishing the tournament 8-over par. He had seven birdies throughout the tournament and finished in a tie for 33rd. Though Scheck did not generate any individual points in the MIAA standings at the tournament, he entered the event with the third-most points in the conference, which was plenty to secure All-MIAA honors for the second-straight year. He finished fifth in total points generated for the season with 26.5.
Jordan McCaslin also made valuable contributions, finishing tied for 40th at 9-over par after rounds of 78, 70, and 77. His 2-under 70 in round two featured five birdies and 12 pars. McCaslin finished with six birdies for the tournament and tied Rader for most pars on the team with 36.
Jacob George was a member of the team in round one, but switched to an individual for the last two rounds. Parker Krob stepped into the team scoring in rounds two and three. Krob shot 76 as an individual in the first round, then 80 and 73 over the last two rounds. He had five birdies for the tournament. George managed three birdies in the tournament. He shot scores of 80, 82, and 74.
Jeremy Tandoy of Arkansas-Fort Smith secured the individual tournament title after shooting 7-under par overall, two strokes ahead of the nearest competitor. Tandoy shot rounds of 69, 68, and 72. Central Oklahoma claimed the team victory in the tournament, with two players finishing in the top five. The Bronchos concluded the tournament 7-under par as a team, with rounds of 291, 282, and 284.
The Tigers will now wait to see if the team did enough throughout the regular season to get into the NCAA Super Regional tournament. If the team is not selected, there is still a chance for individuals to be selected to compete at the event May 8-10 in St. Joseph, Mo.