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MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's golf team finished up one of the best seasons in school history as the Cougars compiled an overall record of 109-39 during the 2002-2003 campaign and earned a trip to the 2003 NAIA National Tournament.

MVNU began the year with a successful fall season as the Cougars posted a 31-3 record in four tournament appearances that included wins over several NAIA ranked teams. After a runner-up finish at the eight-team Indiana Wesleyan Invitational where senior Chad Gress was the individual runner-up, MVNU was the top varsity finisher at the 10-team Malone College Invitational and won the six-team Urbana University Invitational as junior Brian Bumgarner earned medallist honors at both tournaments. Junior Scott Snyder was also the individual runner-up at the Urbana event.

The Cougars closed out the fall season at the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament in Seneca, South Carolina, where the team finished third out of 14 teams as the event was shortened to just one day due to heavy rains in the area.

After their successful fall campaign, MVNU, which was ranked 23rd in the NAIA preseason poll, used the momentum to embark on an outstanding spring season. Things started slowly for the Cougars as they finished fourth at the 13-team Glenville State (W.Va.) College Invitational and then eighth at the 13-team Malone Invitational that was shortened to one day due to rain.

At that point, MVNU began to get things rolling as the Cougars edged Tiffin University on the fifth-man's score to win the nine-team Shawnee State University Invitational. Brian Bumgarner earned medallist honors for the third time, while junior Nathanael Petry tied for second. The team followed that performance by finishing second out of 14 teams at the Southeastern Kentucky Intercollegiate Invitational as MVNU defeated the other 12 four-year schools in the field. Snyder, Gress, and Petry were each named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts.

Next up for the Cougars was a trip to San Diego, California, for the Point Loma Nazarene Invitational. MVNU finished fifth out of seven teams that included four NAIA teams ranked or receiving votes and one NCAA Division II regionally-ranked team. The team followed that with a third-place finish out of eight teams at the Walsh University Invitational.

With three tournaments remaining in the regular season, the Cougars began an unprecedented run as MVNU won all three tournaments. The streak began as the team won their own seven-team invitational by 24 strokes with rounds of 292 (a school record) and 297. Senior Joel Meeks was the medallist, and Petry and Snyder joined him on the All-Tournament Team. Gress earned medallist honors at the Cedarville University Invitational as the Cougars won the nine-team event. Then, MVNU closed out the regular season by winning the Saint Vincent (Pa.) College Invitational as Petry claimed medallist honors and Snyder tied for second.

Playing their best golf of the year, the Cougars entered play in the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Tournament needing to win the 12-team tournament to earn a berth in the NAIA National Tournament. Bumgarner led the team to the title as he fired a school-record four-under-par 212 that included a school-record 68 over the final round as MVNU edged Malone by three shots. Bumgarner was named the AMC Player of the Year, while head coach Mike Meeks earned AMC Coach of the Year honors in his first season. Petry and Gress joined Bumgarner on the All-AMC Team.

By winning the AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament, the Cougars earned a berth in the NAIA National Tournament for the third time in the program's history. MVNU fired a three-round total of 933 to finish 21st out of 27 teams as they closed out the season at the Matanzas Woods Golf Club.

"I am very pleased with the way that the team played and improved over the course of the season," said Mike Meeks. "We were playing our best golf over the last three weeks of the season. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do better at the national tournament after a two-week layoff, but it was a great opportunity for the team to represent MVNU and our conference."

Individually, Bumgarner, who won four tournaments this year, was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player, while Snyder was named the Cougar Award recipient. Snyder was also honored as an NCCAA and NAIA Academic All-American.

Gress, who won six tournaments during his college career, and Joel Meeks, who won two tournaments over the past two years after transferring to MVNU, along with Ben Sharrock wrapped up their careers this year. However, with a solid junior class of Bumgarner, Petry, and Snyder returning and sophomores David Yingst and Raynard Martin ready to move up from the "B" team, the Cougars will look to continue their winning ways in 2003-2004.