By Wade Denniston

The Utah State University golf team tied for 10th place at the Air Force Falcon Invitational tournament Sept. 17-18 at the Eisenhower Blue Course in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Aggies' finish brought excitement to the team, as well as a positive outlook, heading into the rest of the season.

"We had a real good shot to take a top-five finish," USU golfer Casey Beck said. "If we can just put it all together now, we should be able to hopefully win one of these (tournaments)."

The 24-team tournament was won by the University of Notre Dame with a 4-under-par 868.

The University of Wyoming finished in second place with a score of 876.

Grand Canyon University, New Mexico State University and the University of Michigan tied for third place at 881.

USU shot a 900, as did Boise State University and the University of San Diego.

"The morale (of the team) is really high because we were playing against some stiff competition," USU golfer Mike Haws said.

The Aggies were led Haws, who shot rounds of 70, 75 and 76 to finish at 221, good enough for 19th place.

"(Haws) just started out playing well and stuck with it," USU head coach Dan Roskelley said.

"He kept his patience."

Michigan's Michael Harris won the medalist honors with rounds of 67, 71 and 69. Harris set a tournament record with his 207-total (9-under-par).

The old record belonged to Nebraska's Steve Fries with 209.

After shooting a 3-over-par 291 in the first round, USU was in eighth place after, four strokes out of fifth place.

"We played real well the first day," Roskelley said.

Other Aggie scores included Casey Beck tying for 52nd at 227, Kevin lifestyles and Mitch Harris tying for 74th at 231, and Kevin Peterson tying for 93rd at 234.

"I was proud of the guys," Beck said. "We're going to be good.

"We're all contributing; all five of us. It's not just where we have one guy doing it all."

USU's next tournament will be on Monday and Tuesday at the Portland State University Viking Intercollegiate, held at the North Woodlands Golf Course in Sunriver, Ore.

The Aggies have nothing but a positive outlook heading into the tournament.

"By playing well in the last tournament, hopefully, we can carry that over and do well in Portland," Harris said.

Haws agreed.

"We have a lot of confidence going up there," he said.

In last year's Viking Intercollegiate, USU tied for third with the University of Utah at 890.

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DC