Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College men's golf team is preparing to begin the 2024 spring season. This marks their fourth year as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC), which will feature 13 teams this season.

The SLIAC Championships are scheduled for April 28-30 at Metamora Fields Golf Course in Metamora, Illinois.

In the fall of 2023, the Blueboys recorded a team scoring average of 309.2, with only seven teams achieving better averages. Their lowest team score was 295 on the first day of the Midwest Region Tournament, and six players averaged scores below 79.

For the upcoming season, Illinois College returns with 12 student-athletes and adds three newcomers. Key returning players include Cole Bartels, who was named First-Team All-SLIAC last spring. Other notable returners are Jarrett James and Samuel Frericks. The team includes four seniors: Dane Huber, Andrew McKillip, Frericks, and Peter Hauser.

Bartels, a junior from Katy, Texas, had a scoring average of 78 in the fall with his best round being a 74 at the Jacksonville Invite. In spring 2023, he earned First-Team All-SLIAC honors.

Jarrett James enters as the team's top player for 2024 after winning the Hopper Award for outstanding male athlete at Illinois College in academic year 2022-23. He had an average score of 75.3 in fall and recorded a low round of 69 at the Midwest Region Tournament.

Frericks achieved his career-best round of 70 during the Highland Springs Championships last fall.

Hauser holds an average score of 78.65 and finished in 23rd place overall at Millikin University's Butts Classic with a low round of 73.

Huber concluded his collegiate career with an average score of 78.94 last fall and tied for 17th overall at Aurora Fall Invite with a low round of 77.

The Blueboys will commence their season on April 5-6 by participating in Illinois Wesleyan University Invite held at Ironwood Golf Course and Weibring Golf Course in Bloomington, Illinois.