Setting marks for the lowest single-round team total at the Missouri Valley Conference Golf Championship since 1998 in each of the first two rounds, the Illinois State men's golf team ran away with the 2023 MVC Championship, the program's sixth conference title, and the first conference crown since 2007. ISU's final-round 284 put the 'Birds with a three-round 836, which is the lowest three-round tournament score in program history and second-best in MVC championship history.

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With the win, the Redbirds advance to the NCAA Division I Regional round. The selection show will be Wednesday, May 3 at 1 p.m. ET on the Golf channel. Regionals take place May 15-17 at six regional sites: Auburn, Alabama (Auburn University Club); Salem, South Carolina (The Cliffs at Keowee Falls); Bath, Michigan (Eagle Eye Golf Club); Las Vegas, Nevada (Bear's Best Las Vegas); Norman, Oklahoma (Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club); and Morgan Hills, California (The Institute Golf Club). The Championship takes place from May 26-31 at the Grayhawk Golf club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Redbirds' three-round total of 836 distanced themselves from Valparaiso (849), Northern Iowa (856), Bradley (858), Murray State (862), Southern Illinois (862), Evansville (863), Belmont (869), Missouri State (882), and Drake (883).

For the second consecutive season, Valparaiso sophomore Anthony Delisanti was medalist. After making a miraculous comeback in the third and final round at last season’s championship, this year Delisanti was near the top of the leaderboard from the outset and led the tournament for much of the final two days. The route to get there was different, but the end result was identical, as Delisanti once again stands alone atop the conference and has earned an automatic NCAA Regional berth. Delisanti shattered the MVC Championship record and the modern program record with his 54-hole score of 200 (-13), breaking a record that stood for more than 70 years.

Valparaiso's Caleb VanArragon earned the MVC Elite 17 Award for his academic and athletic prowess for a third straight year while garnering All-MVC honors for the fourth consecutive season. It’s the third-straight year Caleb has earned this award.

Illinois State's Felix van Dijk was the individual runner-up in the tournament with a three-round 204, tied for the third-lowest tournament score in program history, while ISU's Valentin Peugnet finished seventh with a 210. Murray State's Trey Lewis turned in the program's best finish in 10 seasons and the Racers placed fifth in their first try at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in Coal Valley, Illinois at Oakwood Country Club. Lewis' third-place place finish came from scores of 71-68-69=208 and it makes for MSU's best individual finish at a league tournament since Patrick Newcomb won the Ohio Valley Championship in 2013.

ALL-CONFERENCE
Josh Kirkham, Bradley
Roy Radke, Bradley
Felix van Dijk, Illinois State
Valentin Peugnet, Illinois State
Max Kreikemeier, Missouri State
Lucas Sherf, Drake
Trey Lewis, Murray State
Braden Hoisington, Southern Illinois
Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso
Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso

Elite 17 Award: Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
Golfer of the Year: Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso
Newcomer of the Year: Jack Schoenberger, Belmont
Coach of the Year: Ray Kralis, Illinois State

Schoenberger led Belmont as he tied for 11th place at 214.  He shot a two-over par 73 on Tuesday.  It was his seventh top-20 finish of his first season as  a Bruin. Delisanti finished among the Top 10 in 6 of his 11 tournaments this year, and he was named MVC Golfer of the Week four times this season.  The 2022 Newcomer of the Year, he’s the first Valpo golfer to win the league’s Golfer of the Year honor. 

Lowest Individual 18-Hole Score (MVC Championship), since 1956
64 -- Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso, 2023 (Round 2)
65 -- Felix van Dijk, Illinois State, 2023 (Round 1)
65 -- Josh Kirkham, Bradley, 2023 (Round 2)
65 -- Gary Navarro, Wichita State, 1972
66 -- Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso, 2023 (Round 1)
66 -- David Rauer, Illinois State, 2019
67 -- 11 times (including three times this year)

Lowest Team 18-Hole Score (MVC Championship), since 1998
276 -- Illinois State, 2023 (Round 1)
276 -- Illinois State, 2023 (Round 2)
278 -- UNI, 2023 (Round 2)
279 -- Valparaiso, 2023 (Round 1)
279 -- Wichita State, 2008
281 -- Southern Illinois, 2019
281 -- Wichita State, 1999
281 -- Wichita State, 2013
281 -- Illinois State, 2007


MONDAY RECAP
Illinois State matched its first-round 276 from Sunday to extend its team lead to nine strokes (276-276=552) over second-place Valparaiso (279-282=561) at the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship. Meanwhile, Valpo's Anthony Delisanti recorded the best individual 18-hole score on record at an MVC championship (since 1956) as he fired a seven-under 64. With a two-round 66-64=130, Delisanti takes a four-stroke lead into Tuesday's final round over Illinois State's Felix van Dijk (65-69=134). Bradley's Josh Kirkham carded a second-round 65 to climb into third place on the individual leaderboard at four under par (73-65=138). MVC men's teams are playing at the 6,760-yard, par-71 layout at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Ill. After a one-hour delay due to frost, the weather on Monday was crisp and clear for most of the day with temps in the 50s and mild winds.

UNI and Bradley moved up the team leaderboard with impressive team scores on Monday as the Panthers fired a six-under 278 to move into third place (287-278=565); while Bradley's 282 on Monday lifted the Braves to fourth place in the team standings (288-282=570). Belmont (571), Southern Illinois (572), and Murray State (574) follow closely behind.  On the individual leaderboard, five golfers are chasing Delisanti, van Dijk and Kirkham with identical two-round 139s.  Alex McCulla and Valentin Peugnet of Illinois State, Trey Lewis of Murray State, Caleb VanArragon of Valparaiso, and Braden Hoisington of Southern Illinois are all tied for fourth place. Of the 50-player field, 21 golfers shot par or better on Monday. Today's round featured four eagles (lifting the tournament total to seven). Tommy Doyle of UNI, Roy Radke of Bradley, Lucas Scherf of Drake, and Nate Spear of Drake all recorded eagles on Monday.

SUNDAY (April 23) RECAP
Illinois State fired a first-round 276, led by a six-under-par 65 by Felix van Dijk, and ISU takes a three-stroke lead into Monday's second round. The 276 team score by Illinois State marked the lowest at the MVC Championship in at least the last 25 years (since 1998), and the 65 by van Dijk tied the lowest 18-hole individual score at the league championship since at least 1956. Meanwhile, Valparaiso finds itself just three strokes behind Illinois State in the team standings after the Beacons shot a first-round 279 -- tying for the second-best team 18-hole score at the MVC Championship in the past 25 years (Wichita State was the other in 2008.)  Anthony Delisanti led Valparaiso on Day 1 with a 5-under 66, which is third-best at the MVC Championship since 1956. He's second on the individual leaderboard.

In addition to van Dijk's 65, two other Redbirds shot under par as Valentin Peugnet had a 69 and Parker Wisdom was at one-under 70. Three Valparaiso golfers were par or better, including Delisanti, Caleb VanArragon (69) and Yianni Kostouros (71). Belmont finds itself in striking distance in its first MVC Championship. The Bruins fired an even-par 284 on Sunday. Michael Senn, Jack Schoenberger and Reeve Felner all fired a one-under 70 on the tournament's first day. A total of 13 golfers in the 50-player field were under par. Individually, Luke Armbrust of Bradley finds himself in third place on the leaderboard after shooting an opening day three-under 68. Five others shot two under and are tied for fourth. Armbrust was one of three golfers to record an eagle on Sunday -- all did it on the par-5 Hole 13. ISU's Valentin and Connor Hamm of Bradley also eagled Hole 13, which played as the easiest hole on the course as 17 others recorded birdies on the 499-yard test. Hole 1, also a Par 5, featured the most birdies of any hole (21), while the Par-4 448-yard Hole 5 played the most difficult on Sunday, with only one birdie on the day.

2022 REVIEW
Southern Illinois is the reigning champ as the Salukis earned a 17-stroke victory at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship contested at the par-72, 7,014-yard layout at the Country Club of Paducah, in Paducah, Ky. Valparaiso was runner-up last year.