Urbana, IL - The Midwest Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship had not changed hands since 2016. With an optimistic start to the fall, it seemed appropriate that Coach Sean Kennedy and the Illinois Central College Men's Golf team were tasked with ending the run being made by long-time region foe Parkland. The task was to be made on the championship-caliber course that is the Atkins Golf Club, and with the Heartland Hawks banging down the door as well, it certainly wouldn't be easy. Alas, Peyton Woods played a stellar tournament, getting a 70 or better in both rounds, and the team bested Heartland by three strokes, Parkland by seven strokes, all to bring the MWAC Men's Golf Title back to East Peoria for the first time in eight years. 

PEYTON WOODS | MWAC INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION | -6 / 138
When one has the last name Woods and plays on a golf team of some kind, rounds like the one ICC's sophomore had are perhaps expected, but certainly celebrated when they do happen. Woods would birdie on six holes in his first round, and impressively do so on four consecutive holes, the par-4 8th, par-3 9th, par-4 10th, and par-5 11th. With only two bogeys on the card for that opening round, it would equal a sub-70 round - 68 to be exact. 

Woods took the momentum from that -4 first round and ran with it in his second round as well, of the seven holes between the par-5 6th and par-4 12th, he would birdie five of them, all adding up to 11 birdies overall. Woods would birdie the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 11th holes in both rounds to take home medalist honors as the Individual MWAC Champion.

Coach Sean Kennedy on Peyton Woods
"Peyton plays his best golf when the lights are brightest. Peyton won the tournament at the University of Notre Dame last fall. He fired two sub-70 rounds to close out Nationals last spring securing a Top 10 finish for the Cougars. Monday, he wins the conference title. I couldn't be more proud of him." 

TREY BOECKER | 4TH PLACE | E / 144
Not to be out-shadowed, it was another quality tournament for freshman Trey Boecker, who continues to pile on top five finishes to start his collegiate career. Boecker would birdie four times in his first round, and three times in his second round to hit a perfect even par for the event. 

In the opening round, Boecker would birdie on back-to-back holes - the par-4 10th and par-5 11th, then would do so during the second round on the par-5 6th and par-4 7th for a 72 in both rounds. 

Coach Sean Kennedy on Trey Boecker
"I never get tired of watching Trey Boecker play. He is a special player who truly understands how to successfully play the game of golf. It is remarkable how consistently Trey competes. I wish he had a little brother I could go recruit." 

QUINN COX | 10TH PLACE | +5 / 149
It was the putting that would prove to be key for Quinn Cox's day at the MWAC Championship. The sophomore would come up clutch, saving par on five holes to lock in the team win and secure him another Top 10 medal. 

Cox would birdie on consecutive holes (par-5 6th, par-4 7th) and birdie three more times in the second round (par-5 1st, par-5 6th, par-4 10th) and a solid five-birdie round and as mentioned, make a return to the individual Top 10. 

Coach Sean Kennedy on Quinn Cox
"It was been exciting for me to watch Quinn's golf maturity to continue to develop. He was impressive yet again."

DJ NORMAN | 17TH PLACE | +11 / 155
With a four-birdie tournament for DJ Norman, he would turn in a quality round as well. However, one shot on one hole perhaps made the rest of his day secondary. Norman would sink a birdie put on the 18th hole that officially secured the MWAC title for the Cougars. 

Norman was also the only ICC player to birdie that 18th hole as well, with his second-round 76 able to give the Cougars some breathing room on the team leaderboard. 

BROCK TAYLOR | 18TH PLACE | +11 / 155
The morning round was the round of the day for Brock Taylor. An eventual 74 saw the sophomore birdie on four different holes, and three of them were of the par-five variety.

His best stretch of the tournament would come when he would either get par or birdie from the par-4 5th all the way through the par-4 12th for a -2 over that stretch. 

COACH KENNEDY'S OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP
"Just proud. Proud of these determined Cougars who set a goal this summer of dethroning Parkland as the Conference Champion. They have put in the repetitive work, hitting extra wedges - sinking extra putts. I am pleased for them to see their efforts and goals rewarded with a Conference Championship and a well-deserved National ranking." 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Knox Prairie Fire Fall Finale 
Monday & Tuesday, October 14th & 15th
12PM Start (Monday) & 9AM Start (Tuesday)
at Soangetaha Country Club - Galesburg, IL