Southern Illinois earned the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Golf Championship title with an eight-stroke victory over second-place Missouri State. SIU's Edouard Cereto was medalist.
The 2024 MVC Championship took place Sunday-Tuesday, April 21-23, on the 7,060-yard, par 72 layout at The Golf Club at Porta Cima in Sunrise Beach, Mo.
Cereto is the first Saluki men’s golfer to earn medalist at the Conference tournament. He earned the title with a three-round 69-67-73=209. Three Valparaiso golfers finished 2-3-4 as Caleb VanArragon was 71-70-70 for a 211, followed by teammates Anthony Delisanti (212) and Adam Melliere (213). Hampus Wijkstrom of Missouri State also tied for fourth on the individual leaderboard at 213.
Southern Illinois’ win is its fourth in the MVC – all since 2016 -- and its second in the past three years. The Salukis have earned MVC men's golf titles in 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2024. Missouri State and Valparaiso made a charge in the final day with a Tuesday-best 285 team score. The Bears were eight strokes back of SIU with a 285-294-285=864. Valpo was in third place with a three-round 291-292-285=868. Other team scores were Murray State (879), Drake (883), Belmont (888), Evansville (905), Illinois State (907), Bradley (911), and UNI (914).
Caleb VanArragon of Valparaiso was voted by coaches as Golfer of the Year; Edouard Cereto of Southern Illinois was tabbed Newcomer of the Year; and Ray Kralis of Illinois State was named the 2024 Coach of the Year by his peers. VanArragon earned the league's Elite 17 Award. He is a four-time recipient of that honor. Also, he’s the second-straight Valpo golfer to earn Golfer of the Year (Anthony Delisanti last year).
Kralis earned MVC men’s golf Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
Team Champion: Southern Illinois
Medalist: Edouard Cereto, Southern Illinois
Golfer of the Year: Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
Newcomer of the Year: Edouard Cereto, Southern Illinois
Coach of the Year: Ray Kralis, Illinois State
Elite 17 Award: Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
ALL-CONFERENCE
Michael Senn, Belmont
Jack Schoenberger, Belmont
Valentin Peugnet, Illinois State
Alex McCulla, Illinois State
Hampus Wijkstrom, Missouri State
Edouard Cereto, Southern Illinois
Dain Richie, Southern Illinois
Caleb VanArragon, Valparaiso
Anthony Delisanti, Valparaiso
Adam Melliere, Valparaiso
TWO-ROUND RECAP (Monday, April 22)
The Salukis fired a second-round low 287 to extend their lead over second-place Missouri State to 14 strokes. SIU sits at 278-287=565 (11 under), while the Bears are 285-294=579 (3 over). Valparaiso follows closely behind in third place in the team standings (291-292=583), while Murray State is fourth (296-289=585). The Racers' 289 was second-best during Monday's play.
Belmont (588), Drake (597), Bradley (603), Evansville (604), Illinois State (607), and UNI (610) round out the team scoring through 36 holes.
Edouard Cereto of Southern Illinois leads the field with a two-round eight-under-par 69-67=136. His 67 on Monday was low-round for the day. Adam Melliere of Valparaiso also broke 70 on Monday with a 68 and he climbed to second place in the individual standings (72-68=140). Six other golfers are under par for the tournament. Caleb VanArragon is in third place (71-70=141), and Dain Richie of Southern Illinois sits fourth at two-under 142 through 36 holes. Four players are tied for fifth place at minus-1 143 (Leon Heitz of Southern Illinois; Max Kreikemeier of Missouri State; Jack Schoenberger of Belmont; and Hampus Wijkstrom of Missouri State).
ROUND 1 RECAP (Sunday, April 21)
Southern Illinois fired an MVC-record 10-under-par 278, and the Salukis hold a seven-stroke lead over second-place Missouri State (285) after Day 1. Valparaiso is 13 strokes behind SIU and in third place with a first-round score of 291.
Three Salukis are in the Top 4 on the individual leaderboard, led by Leon Heitz who shares the 18-hole lead with Missouri State's Hampus Wijkstrom with a 5-under 67. Edouard Cereto of Southern Illinois is at 69, while SIU's Dain Richie is in fourth place with a 70 after today's opening round. The 67 is tied for third all-time in MVC Championship history for an 18-hole score (on a par-72 layout). The league record for a par-72 18-hole score was established by Wichita State's Gary Navarro (65 in 1972). Last year, Anthony Delisanti of Valparaiso set an all-time mark with his 64 (accomplished on a par-71 layout). A total of eight players broke par Sunday, with four carding one-under 71, including Daniil Romashkin of Evansville; Caleb VanArragon of Valparaiso; defending two-time medalist Anthony Delisanti of Valparaiso; and Conner Brown of Belmont.
Meanwhile, SIU's 278 18-hole score established a league record for a par-72 layout, edging the previous record of 280 established by Wichita State in 1972. Illinois State fired two rounds of 276 last year on the par-71 Oakwood Country Club at Coal Valley, Ill. The league's all-time 18-hole record was set by Oklahoma State in 1949 (a team score of 275 on a par-70 course). SIU's 278 on Sunday is Southern Illinois' 7th 18-hole score of 280 or better this season.
THE GOLF CLUB AT PORTO CIMA
The Golf Club at Porto Cima is a Jack Nicklaus designed facility that opened in 2000. Over the last 23 years Porto Cima has hosted several Missouri Golf Association Championships, the annual Missouri Intercollegiate and the 2011, 2015 & 2019 Men’s MVC Championships. Golf Digest has recognized The Club at Porto Cima as the one of the best private golf courses in America.