Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, May 1
Naperville, Ill.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Championship
Collins Ties for Seventh; EMU Shares Fifth at MAC Championship
5/1/2022 6:17:00 PM | Men's Golf
Eastern Michigan tied with Miami for fifth with a three-day total of 898
Complete Results | Season Stats | Photo Gallery
Rewatch Friday's Round | Rewatch Saturday's Round | Rewatch Sunday's Round
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team finished in a tie with Miami University for fifth place at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championship with a three-day cumulative score of 898 (289-309-300). Kent State University came from behind to capture its sixth consecutive league title, finishing at 17-over 881 (295-301-285) on the par 72, 7,065 yard White Eagle Golf Club course.
After holding an opening round lead, senior Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ontario, Canada-Mayfield Secondary) tied for seventh with a seven-over 223 (67-78-78) for his first top-10 finish of the 2021-22 campaign. Overall, it marked his second career top-10 showing at the league's championship, having previously tied for sixth in 2019.
Trailing Toledo by a stroke headed into the final round, the Golden Flashes flipped the script on the Rockets on the final day to win by four shots. KSU's Josh Gilkison won the individual MAC title in a playoff with Toledo's Jamie Tofte Nielsen and Jack Ebner of Miami. All three players finished the tournament with a 54-hole score of one-over par 217.
How It Happened
After six birdies during Friday's round of 67, Collins was unable to keep the same consistency. Despite Sunday's struggles, he still will go down as one of the best golfers in program history, finishing with 132 all-time rounds and 44 rounds of par-or-better. Collins' career scoring average of 73.91 ranks sixth all-time at EMU
Senior Zack Mason (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Blyth Academy Lawrence Park) and sophomore Cam Kellett (London, Ontario-Saint Thomas Aquinas-Nevada) each posted rounds of 75 to tie for 15th with a score of 226. It marked Kellett's first top-15 finish of his EMU career, meanwhile it was Mason's second top-15 showing at the MAC Championship. Overall, Mason wrapped his EMU career with 92 rounds played and a 75.38 scoring average.
Senior Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ontario, Canada-St Joseph's Catholic) and sophomore MJ Smith (Rockford, Ill.-Winnebago) rounded out the scoring for Eastern with a 74 and a 76, respectively, for a 229 and a tie for 26th. Celone officially cemented himself as the program's leader in career scoring average at 73.26, surpassing 2007 MAC Champion Graham Hill's (2005-08) standard of 73.3.
The trio of Celone, Collins, and Mason were an integral part of Bruce Cunningham's lineup since stepping on campus in 2017. The three combined for 350 rounds, 114 rounds of par-or-better, 17 top-10 finishes, and the 2019 MAC Championship.
Up Next
The MAC will release its list of All-MAC winners later next week following a vote by the league's head coaches.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-7. Cougar Collins 67-78- 78=223
t-15. Zack Mason 74-77-75=226
t-15. Cam Kellett 72-79-75=226
t-26. Ty Celone 76-79-74=229
t-26. MJ Smith 78-75-76=229
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Kent State 295-301-285=881
2. Toledo 292-303-290=885
t-3. Northern Illinois 300-303-293=896
t-3. Bowling Green 305-297-294=896
t-5. Eastern Michigan 289-309-300=898
t-5. Miami 306-301-291=898
7. Ball State 301-315-298=914
8. Ohio 308-320-291=919
2022 MAC Men's Golf All-Tournament Team // Specialty Awards
Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award: Jack Herceg, Miami
Kermit Blosser Coach of the Year: Jeff Roope, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Gilkison, Kent State
Golfer of the Year: Chris Vandette, Kent State
MAC Individual Champion: Josh Gilkison, Kent State
Runner up: Jack Ebner, Miami // Jamie Tofte Nielsen, Toledo
All-Tournament Team
Chris Vandette, Kent State
Josh Gilkison, Kent State
Jack Ebner, Miami
Barend Botha, Toledo
Lukas Clark, Toledo
Jamie Tofte Nielsen, Toledo
Rewatch Friday's Round | Rewatch Saturday's Round | Rewatch Sunday's Round
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team finished in a tie with Miami University for fifth place at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championship with a three-day cumulative score of 898 (289-309-300). Kent State University came from behind to capture its sixth consecutive league title, finishing at 17-over 881 (295-301-285) on the par 72, 7,065 yard White Eagle Golf Club course.
After holding an opening round lead, senior Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ontario, Canada-Mayfield Secondary) tied for seventh with a seven-over 223 (67-78-78) for his first top-10 finish of the 2021-22 campaign. Overall, it marked his second career top-10 showing at the league's championship, having previously tied for sixth in 2019.
Trailing Toledo by a stroke headed into the final round, the Golden Flashes flipped the script on the Rockets on the final day to win by four shots. KSU's Josh Gilkison won the individual MAC title in a playoff with Toledo's Jamie Tofte Nielsen and Jack Ebner of Miami. All three players finished the tournament with a 54-hole score of one-over par 217.
How It Happened
After six birdies during Friday's round of 67, Collins was unable to keep the same consistency. Despite Sunday's struggles, he still will go down as one of the best golfers in program history, finishing with 132 all-time rounds and 44 rounds of par-or-better. Collins' career scoring average of 73.91 ranks sixth all-time at EMU
Senior Zack Mason (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Blyth Academy Lawrence Park) and sophomore Cam Kellett (London, Ontario-Saint Thomas Aquinas-Nevada) each posted rounds of 75 to tie for 15th with a score of 226. It marked Kellett's first top-15 finish of his EMU career, meanwhile it was Mason's second top-15 showing at the MAC Championship. Overall, Mason wrapped his EMU career with 92 rounds played and a 75.38 scoring average.
Senior Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ontario, Canada-St Joseph's Catholic) and sophomore MJ Smith (Rockford, Ill.-Winnebago) rounded out the scoring for Eastern with a 74 and a 76, respectively, for a 229 and a tie for 26th. Celone officially cemented himself as the program's leader in career scoring average at 73.26, surpassing 2007 MAC Champion Graham Hill's (2005-08) standard of 73.3.
The trio of Celone, Collins, and Mason were an integral part of Bruce Cunningham's lineup since stepping on campus in 2017. The three combined for 350 rounds, 114 rounds of par-or-better, 17 top-10 finishes, and the 2019 MAC Championship.
Up Next
The MAC will release its list of All-MAC winners later next week following a vote by the league's head coaches.
Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
t-7. Cougar Collins 67-78- 78=223
t-15. Zack Mason 74-77-75=226
t-15. Cam Kellett 72-79-75=226
t-26. Ty Celone 76-79-74=229
t-26. MJ Smith 78-75-76=229
Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Kent State 295-301-285=881
2. Toledo 292-303-290=885
t-3. Northern Illinois 300-303-293=896
t-3. Bowling Green 305-297-294=896
t-5. Eastern Michigan 289-309-300=898
t-5. Miami 306-301-291=898
7. Ball State 301-315-298=914
8. Ohio 308-320-291=919
2022 MAC Men's Golf All-Tournament Team // Specialty Awards
Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award: Jack Herceg, Miami
Kermit Blosser Coach of the Year: Jeff Roope, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Gilkison, Kent State
Golfer of the Year: Chris Vandette, Kent State
MAC Individual Champion: Josh Gilkison, Kent State
Runner up: Jack Ebner, Miami // Jamie Tofte Nielsen, Toledo
All-Tournament Team
Chris Vandette, Kent State
Josh Gilkison, Kent State
Jack Ebner, Miami
Barend Botha, Toledo
Lukas Clark, Toledo
Jamie Tofte Nielsen, Toledo
Players Mentioned
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