The ISU men’s golf team begins its spring season Feb. 11 at the UTSA Oak Ridge Invitational in San Antonio.

The team is playing for the first time since its showing at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate, where it finished third in a field of 13 teams.

The team was fueled by performances from sophomore Scott Fernandez and redshirt sophomore Blake Waller, both of whom finished in the top 10 individually.

“It left a good taste in our mouth,” said ISU coach Andrew Tank. “I think everybody is feeling really optimistic heading into the spring.”

The Cyclones are hoping to have a stronger showing in San Antonio than last season, where they finished 12th. Four current players competed in the event last year.

“We were a pretty young team last year,” said assistant coach Patrick Datz. “It was their first season coming out of a winter and they didn’t really know what to expect. From a mental side, they know what to expect now.”

The team is led by Fernandez, who broke the ISU record for lowest freshman score average last season.

Fernandez is currently ranked eighth individually in Golfweek’s national rankings. His fall stroke average of 71.67 is a team-best, followed by redshirt freshman Collin Foster, who has a 76.0 average.