The Kent State men’s golf team secured both the team and individual titles at the Mid-American Conference Championships Tuesday.

The Flashes finished the tournament at 10-under-par, 16 strokes ahead of runner-up Ball State, who posted a final score of six-over-par.

This marked the team’s 29th MAC Championship victory, their first since 2022 and third under coach Jon Mills. Following the win, Mills was named MAC Coach of the Year.

Individually, senior Jordan Gilkison led the way, claiming the conference title with an eight-under-par overall. Gilkison’s efforts earned him MAC Golfer of the Year.

“You could just tell they wanted to win more than ever,” Mills said. “Thinking back to the disappointment of losing last year, they weren’t going to let it happen again with the leadership from the seniors, so they were just absolutely thrilled to come out on top.”

Having not played against a few of the conference teams throughout the regular season, Mills said they went into the tournament prepared for a challenge. 

“We saw where everyone was in the rankings and figured it was going to be a challenge,” Mills said. “I kept telling our guys that we wanted to have a chance with nine holes to go, and that’s where we put ourselves. The guys did a really good job of managing those moments on the back nine and just playing golf consistently. They did a great job, the hard work paid off, and they were very deserving of the win.”

Round one

The Flashes concluded the first round of the tournament, Sunday, in third at even-par (288), sitting three strokes behind co-leaders Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan, who each posted a three-under-par (285).

Gilkison led Kent State tied for seventh at one-under-par (71).

Also recording par or better were freshman Isaiah Ibit and senior Edvin Backstrom, who both shot even-par (72) to finish the opening round tied for ninth.

Rounding out Kent State’s scoring lineup was senior Bryce Reed, who sat tied for 13th at one-over-par (73) ahead of the second round. 

Round two

The second round of competition continued on Monday. 

The Flashes fired a 12-under-par (276), improving to second place at 12-under-par overall and closing the gap to just three strokes behind leader Eastern Michigan.

Gilkison continued to lead the way, shooting five-under-par (67) to move into second place at 10-under-par overall.

Ibit recorded a three-under-par (69) to sit in fifth place at three-under-par through two rounds.

Also shooting in the 60s for the day was Reed, who shot a three-under-par (69) to climb to a tie for sixth at two-under-par.

The second round also saw freshman Nolan Haynes bounce back from a tough first round with a one-under-par (71) to tie for 21st at two-over-par.

Backstrom shot two-over-par (74) to also tie for 21st. 

Round three 

Gilkison and Reed led the Flashes through the final round, finishing first and third overall, respectively.

Gilkison claimed the individual title with a two-under-par (70) in round three to finish at eight-under-par, three strokes ahead of the runner-up.

“I can’t say enough about [Gilkison], how he played this year and this spring,” Mills said. “To come into your senior year and win three events, that’s pretty impressive.”

Reed also recorded a two-under-par (70) to secure third place at four-under-par.

“Last year, [Reed] finished second individually, and then this week finished third,” Mills said. “Having your seniors play great golf and lead the team in a tournament like this is so important, and it was great to see.”

Haynes climbed eight places after posting a two-over-par (74) in the final round to finish tied for 13th at four-over-par.

Kent State’s final countable score came from Backstrom, who recorded a four-over-par (76) to tie for 16th at six-over-par.

Despite a tough final round of eight-over-par (80), Ibit still earned a 15th-place finish at five-over-par and was named MAC Freshman of the Year for his successes throughout the season.

With a five-over-par (293) in the final round, the Flashes secured the team’s 29th MAC Championship at 10-under-par overall, clinching the title by 16 strokes over runner-up Ball State.

With the regular season behind them and the MAC title under their belt, Mills said the season evolved well, and everyone contributed to the team’s success. 

“I’m happy with how the season developed, and everyone contributed great moments,” Mills said. “Apart from our seniors, we had a fairly young team with three freshmen consistently in the lineup all year. I think it shows a lot about the future with the young guys, so I’m excited to keep going from here.”

Looking ahead

The Flashes’ successful season and MAC Championship victory earned them a spot at the NCAA Regionals in Amherst, Va. on May 12.

Mills said the team aims to carry its momentum into regionals, with hopes of finishing in the top five to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship.

“The message going into regionals is going to be the same,” Mills said. “We can’t control what other teams do, but we will take care of our own business. I’d like to think we’re going to be there at the end, it’s just a matter of not losing sight of our goal which is to be at the NCAA Championships. We’ve put in the work; now it’s time to play.”

Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].