FERRIS STATE PLACES FIVE PLAYERS ON GLIAC MEN'S GOLF TEAM

*2004-05 All-GLIAC Release* PDF

Alex Balog was one of five Ferris State men's golfers to earn All-GLIAC honors.

Five Ferris State University men's golfers were honored with 2005 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) accolades in an announcement Thursday (May 19) by the conference office.

Sophomore Alex Balog (Trenton) was Ferris' lone first-team member while juniors Todd Griffin (Shelby) and Derek Radley (Mentor, Ohio/Lake Catholic) earned second-team kudos. Sophomores Jeff Carlson (Holland/West Ottawa) and Kyle Mason (Mt. Pleasant) both were named to the honorable mention squad.

The GLIAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Year went to Wayne State's Ryan Johnson, who was the league's 2004 Freshman of the Year and the top individual medalist at the 2005 GLIAC Championships. Eric Atsma of Findlay was chosen as the GLIAC's Freshman of the Year while Grand Valley State head coach Don Underwood was tabbed as the GLIAC Coach of the Year. The All-GLIAC squads consisted of first, second and honorable mention teams and were selected based upon a player's stroke average in his 10 best conference play rounds, including the GLIAC Championship's three rounds. All ties were broken by total strokes at the GLIAC Championships Tournament.

Balog earned first-team all-conference recognition for the first time in his career after registering a team-leading and career-best 74.46 stroke average (1,936 total strokes) through 26 rounds played in for the 2004-05 campaign. He turned in five top-10 finishes and three top-five efforts, including a season-high second-place 223 three-round score at this season's GLIAC Championships (Oct. 9-10) in Coldwater, Mich. Balog was the Bulldogs' top performer in seven tournaments this season, including five consecutive events (Oct. 9-Apr. 17).

Griffin picked up second-team all-league laurels after posting a team fourth-place 75.87 average (1,745 strokes) through 23 rounds this season. He compiled four top-10 efforts and three top-five finishes, which was highlighted by earning top medalist honors at the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region Tournament I (Sept. 26-27) with a two-round 141 score. Griffin fired a three-round 230 score at the 2004-05 GLIAC Championships to tie for seventh place.

Joining Griffin on the second team was Radley, who averaged a career-best 77.36 strokes (1,702 strokes) in 22 rounds of competition. Radley had four top-20 outings this season and guided Ferris with a first-place 73 round at the Hillsdale Invitational (Apr. 22) as the Bulldogs won the tournament. He went on to pace FSU at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Super Regional (May 2-4) in St. Joseph, Mo., with a 12th-place tying 227-stroke total in the three-round post-season event.

Carlson, a repeat pick on the all-conference honorable mention squad, averaged a career-best 75.58 (1,965 strokes) strokes for 26 rounds to place third among the team's top average leaders. For the season, Carlson accumulated four top-10 individual finishes and was the Bulldogs' top golfer at the Grand Valley State Invitational (Sept. 18-19) in which he carded a sixth-place tying two-round 152 score. A 2003-04 FSU Men's Golf Bulldog Award co-recipient for dedication and hard work, Carlson finished tied for runner-up honors with a 142 at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Region Tournament I.

Mason earned honorable mention plaudits by averaging a career-best 76.50 (1,989 strokes) for 26 rounds to place fifth on Ferris' stroke leaders list. Mason racked up five top-20 individual placings, including a 10th-place tying 148 two-round score at the Ferris State Invitational (Sept. 17). Mason, who shared the 2003-04 FSU Men's Golf Bulldog Award with Carlson, placed 16th at the GLIAC Championships with a three-round 234 stroke total. He fired a two-round 149 score at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Region Tournament II (March 19-20).

Ferris wrapped up its 2004-05 season at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Super Regional as the Bulldogs finished tied for fourth place with a 915-stroke total.