Dec. 3, 2011

By John Lock
SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois men's golf coach Leroy Newton has announced the signing of three golfers for the 2012-13 season. Drew Novara, Ryan Haxel and Ben Patton have recently signed with SIU and will start competition next fall.

"We're excited with all three guys. They have a lot of potential," head coach Leroy Newton said. "We expect all three to be major contributors in a couple years, and they can call compete for a top-five spot as freshman next year. We'd like at least one of them to step into a scoring role for us next year."

Ryan Haxel // St. Louis, Mo. // Westminster Christian Academy
Haxel is a four-year member of the varsity golf team, earning All-Conference in each of his first three years. His team won the 3A state championship during his sophomore year, when he earned first-team All-State honors. As a junior, Haxel earned first-team All-State honors again while leading his team to a runner-up finish at State. As a senior, he is a captain of the golf team for the second consecutive year.

Haxel was also a member of the varsity basketball team as a sophomore and junior, and he was on the honor roll as a junior. He is a recipient of the Ten Pillar Student-Athlete Award, which is given based on high character. Over the course of his senior year, Haxel is volunteering 50 hours at a local elementary school, working with students in the English as a Second Language program.

Drew Novara // Murphysboro, Ill. // Murphysboro High School
Drew Novara is a four-year member of the Murphysboro High School golf team, captaining each of the last two years. He is a three-time tournament champion and a seven-time All-Tournament team golfer. He earned team MVP awards in each of the last three years.

He was a Southern Illinois River to River Athletic Conference All-Conference member three times, and he also earned Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South honors in each of the last three years. Novara placed 23rd at the Class 2A State Golf Tournament as a senior. In the 61 rounds he played since he was a sophomore, Novara posted the low score on his team 49 times (80.3%). He holds three individual school records and contributed to two team school records.

Ben Patton // Springfield, Ill. // Springfield Lanphier High School
Patton is a four-year letter winner at Springfield Lanphier High School. He is a four-time All-Conference golfer and qualified for the State Championships all four years. Patton was an All-State golfer as a junior and senior, placing in the top 10 both years.

As a senior, Patton was named Central State Eight Player of the Year. He won the Springfield High School City Tournament and placed second at the Sangamon County Tournament. This past summer, Patton won the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship Midwest Qualifier.