Nov. 19, 2008

After a successful 2008 campaign on the course, Dayton Flyers men's golf head coach Chris Hale made moves to shore up the program's future.

Hale signed one of the largest recruiting classes in the program's history bringing in six golfers to the class of 2009.

Mike Griffin, Zachary Hadaway, Brenten Blakeman, Sean Keating, Matt Buse and John Muir headline the UD freshman class.

"In my first season with Dayton Golf, I am excited to see our recruiting efforts producing good results," said Hale. "With the upcoming graduation of our senior class I knew we had to bring in a talented class of freshmen to build for the future."

Hale focused his recruiting efforts on keeping local talent in the area. Five of the six signees hail from the Dayton-Cincinnati area.

Griffin, a Centerville High School product, is a First Team All-Conference selection the previous two years. He possesses a Central Division GWOC Conference average 36.4 and was selected as one of four student athletes to represent Centervilleat the 2008 OHSAA Foundation Student Leadership Conference in September 2008.

Hadaway is another local Dayton product. From nearby Chaminade Julienne High School, he was a First Team All-GCL selection as a junior and senior. Hadaway was a runner-up medalist in the Divison II Southwest District and tied for 22nd in the Ohio State High School Division II State Championship.

Blakeman is ranked sixth in Illinois National Junior Golf Scoreboard junior rankings. An all-conference selection the last three years with seven Top Five finishes, Blakeman compiled a 36.44 stroke average and one victory in summer events. He's competed in the Illinois State Amateur as well as three American Junior Golf Association tournaments.

A St. Xavier High School product in Cincinnati, Keating is ranked in the Top 10 of the NJGC Ohio junior rankings in 2008. A member of the 2008 Division I Ohio State Champion St. Xavier golf team, Keating is a First Team, Division I All-State selection. A First Team, All-City and GCL selection, Keating recorded the lowest stroke average (74.5) in school history during his senior season.

Buse also comes to UD from St. Xavier and is also ranked in the Top 10 of the NJGC Ohio junior rankings in 2008. Buse was the 2008 GCL Player of the Year and a member of the AJGA HP Scholastic All-American Team. In addition, Buse also qualified and competed in the 2008 Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines and the U.S. Junior Amateur at Shoal Creek.

Muir, an Alter High School product from nearby Kettering, Ohio, led his team to two consecutive Ohio State Division II State Championships and placed 11th and sixth individually. Muir is a two-time All-GCL selection, two-year team captain and a two-year team Most Valuable Player. He won three summer tournaments and placed third at the Ohio Optimist International Championship.

All six recruits look to continue UD's recent success. In 2008 the Flyers placed in second at the 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Golf Championship, had two golfers compete in the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship and won its first tournament in three seasons.