BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- For the first time in over 21 years and second instance in school history, the Wayne State University men's golf team has won the GLIAC Championship Tournament.  Led by two graduate students and three seniors on Sunday in the Medal Match Play finals, the third-seeded Warriors ousted fourth-seeded Saginaw Valley State, 4-1.

"I'm basically in awe of what the boys did the last two rounds," said head coach Mike Horn.  "Yesterday, shooting 11 under par and then today having 74 as our worst score, the boys really showed themselves something.  This was nearly 22 years in the making, and honestly couldn't imagine it being any sweeter than it is.  Now we go onto the NCAA Tournament and if we can play like this, the sky is the limit.  Congratulations to seniors Josh DiCarlo, Ian Smith, Max Leppelmeier, Tyler Hurtubise, and with a 67 in dominating fashion today, Luc Warnock."

In order of finish, Max Leppelmeier (Wauseon, Ohio / Pettisville), Ian Smith (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth), Luc Warnock (McGregor, Ont. / E.J. Lajeunesse [Northern Illinois]), and Tyler Hurtubise (Essex, Ont. / Essex District) won their head-to-head matches, each of which were by at least three strokes.  Josh DiCarlo came up short by two strokes in his showdown with the Cardinals' Thomas Keyte.

"Words can't even explain how much this means to this team and myself," said the lone Team Captain and sixth-year Warrior DiCarlo.  "Being here since 2019 and not being able to fully get it done in the spring has been something that has been on my mind for years and to finally be able to say we are conference champions six years later is the best feeling in the world.  All five of us played our hearts out all spring season, throughout this entire conference championship and I'm so proud of every single player."

"Us boys talked last night and we wanted to go out there today and do this for coach Horn," added DiCarlo.  "This 21+-year drought has been a long one and to finally say it's over for him makes us players so happy for him.  This group is special in every way possible.  This is just a step leading into regionals and we are going to come ready to go."

Medal Match Play - Finals
Wayne State 4, Saginaw Valley State 1
1. Leppelmeier, 68 (4-up) over Evan Klein
2. Smith, 72 (5-up) over Joey Per
3. Warnock, 67 (3-up) over Shea Harmeson
4. Keyte (2-up) over DiCarlo, 74
5. Hurtubise, 69 (5-up) over Jiseung Choi

Next up for Wayne State is the NCAA Selection Show on Friday, April 25.  The Warriors will be one of multiple squads representing the Midwest Region.  In the most-recent rankings released on Friday, April 11, the Green and Gold were slotted third in the region while Grand Valley State, the team WSU defeated on Saturday in the semis, was first.  Also showing up for the GLIAC were Ferris State in sixth and Saginaw Valley State in seventh.

That day, a total of 80 teams and 32 individuals will be selected for regional competition.  There will be four regional sites where two regions will meet and conduct regional tournaments.  The regional tournaments will be paired as follows:

• Atlantic and East Regions
• South and Southeast Regions
• Midwest and Central Regions
• South Central and West Regions

Ten (10) teams and the top four individuals not with a team will be selected from each region to compete in one of four 54-hole regional tournaments.  At a minimum, the top three teams and the top two individuals not with a team from each regional (regardless of region) will advance to the national finals.  The remaining eight team berths will be allocated based on the regions represented in the prior year's head-to-head medal play portion of the championships. Tiebreakers and playoffs will be used to determine individual and team champions, and advancement to the national finals.