The men’s golf team teed off its 2008 campaign with a third place finish at the Missouri Intercollegiate. And who better to lead the charge than freshman Andy Hogenmiller?

Although the final round of play was cancelled due to weather, Hogenmiller still managed to post a two-under 142, good enough for third-place honors individually and match the team’s effort in the 14-team field. Junior David Eddy and sophomore Seve Smith kept pace for the Lions, finishing 13th and 24th, respectively.

However, don’t expect the Lions to be satisfied.

“Our second round at the Missouri Intercollegiate was by far the best round we have ever played at that event, so I think I’m perhaps more encouraged than I was even before the season started,” Lions Head Coach Kevin Greim said.

The Lions will look to surpass expectations and place higher in conference where they settled for third behind perennial powerhouses Washburn and Central Missouri in 2007.

The team will undoubtedly rely on freshman Andy Hogenmiller to contribute to its success. The talented Washington High School product has already opened some eyes early in the season, following a standout high school career as a three-time state qualifier. Although the Lions graduated top golfer Ben Perry, Greim believes this year’s team is special.

“We are different in two aspects,” he said. “First, we are deeper, meaning we have more guys than in the past who can give us usable scores, or scores that can help us compete.

“And I just think we are better off the tee than we have been.

“If you are in the fairway, that’s the first step towards scoring low, and we have the capability of hitting more fairways than we have in the past.”

The Lions will certainly have to put that capability into action as they trek to the Pittsburg State Invitational on Sept. 15.