Only four days after returning back from a successful trip to College Station, Texas, the Kent State men’s golf team will travel back to the Lone Star state to compete in the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin.

The University of Texas Golf Club will host a field of 12 schools. The 21st-ranked Flashes will compete against the likes of No. 3 New Mexico, No. 6 Texas and No. 11 Texas Christian University.

The Flashes hope to continue playing excellent golf after recording two second-place finishes in the past two tournaments. The tough competition has not fazed junior Kyle Kmiecik, who is coming off of a 14th place finish in College Station.

“I normally just go about my routine and my preparation,” Kmiecik said. “When I get there, it’s time to play another golf tournament, and I’m going to do whatever I can to help our team try and get the win.”

Kmiecik hopes that the confidence built from the string of top finishes will translate on the course this weekend.

“It definitely helps your confidence when you shoot a few good rounds,” he said. “I just continue to prepare the same way, the best way I know how to, and try to go to each tournament and perform.”

With the weather warming up in Kent, the players are taking advantage of the time they have to practice outside on the course and driving range.

“I’m just trying to essentially kick off all of the rust because it is mid-season and the weather is shaping up,” Kmiecik said. “Doing what I’m always doing, just trying to make my game a bit cleaner.”

With the short practice week, head coach Herb Page has made sure that his players are continuing to improve the little skills that will make a difference on the course.

“We have been working really hard on our short game as well as distance control with our wedges,” Page said. “Chipping, putting and wedges are what we work on because if we get a little bit better with that, we can produce some better scores.”

As the players continue through the long stretch of their tournament season, the Flashes are trying to power through two trips to Texas in two weeks.

Page has full confidence that his players can handle the travel schedule.

“We’ve got pretty good students,” Page said. “They are missing some school but they always make it up.”

“It can get hard,” Kmiecik said. “It’s just important when I’m here at home to stick to my routine, get my rest and get recharged for the next week.”

The two-day, 36-hole tournament will begin Saturday and close Sunday.

Contact Meghan Blaha at [email protected].