WARRENSBURG, Mo. (August 27, 2019) - The start of the 2019 season is right around the corner and we're going to take these final two weeks to get you up to speed on UCM's fall sports. Seven sports will be getting underway at the start of September. Today we preview our final fall team, Mules Golf.

A Look Back
2018 MIAA Finish: 2nd (regular season) 3rd (tournament)
2018 NCAA Regional Finish: T11th

Highlights
• The Mules opened the season with back-to-back second places finishes last fall.
• UCM had seven top-three finishes in 11 events.
• The Mules enjoyed nine top-five individual finishes and 15 in the top-10.

Moving Forward
Letterwinners returning/lost: 9/7
Key Returners:
• The Mules will return four from their top-six a year ago. Matt Hoemann and Sam Parrott each played in all 30 rounds for UCM with averages of 73.73 and 75.37, respectively.
• Nick Westrich saw his first action for UCM in 2018 playing in 24 rounds averaging 74.67 strokes.
• Despite playing in just nine rounds, Ian Barnes averaged 73.11 strokes with a top-five finish. 

The Schedule
• The Mules have five dates on their schedule for the fall playing each week from Sept. 16 - Oct. 14.
• UCM opens the season at the Northeastern State Invitational in Muskogee, Okla. Sept. 16-17. 

The Coach
• Coach Tim Poe has been in Warrensburg for more than three decades starting with his playing days for the Mules in the late 1980s. The 2019-20 season will be the 30th for Coach Poe at UCM. In his first 29 seasons, he's won 14 MIAA Championships and made 27 straight NCAA postseason appearances. He is a 14-time MIAA Coach of the Year and 10-time Regional Coach of the Year. In 2016, Coach Poe was inducted in the the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. 

The Mules will be successful if...
• They get consistent play from their top-four. Matt Hoemann, Sam Parrott and Nick Westrich all played in nearly every tournament last year and Ian Barnes has experience as the lone senior on the team. They'll look to that group to lead the squad.
• There will be a battle for the number five spot. The Mules have five other returners and four freshman all looking to claim it. If someone steps up, it will be a big boost and provide needed depth.

The Outlook
With positions still open, this fall will go a long way to determining the top-five in the spring. Once again, UCM should be at the top of the MIAA and battling for a top-spot in the Central Region. They've got four veterans who have played in big tournaments, some of whom have been a part of the top-five for two years. The Mules graduated seven seniors, so it is a new crop of veterans who will be looked at as leaders. Year-after-year Coach Poe has restocked with talent and 2019 is no different with talented vets and eager freshman looking to prove themselves.