The ISU men’s golf team hit the road for the 12-team Boilermaker Invitational searching for consistency in its last event before the Big 12 Championships.

It appears it may have found it.

Iowa State shot an 886 (295-294-297) as a team to finish tied with Minnesota for sixth, and ISU coach Jay Horton said he liked what he saw.

“I think we played a lot better than we had been going into this tournament,” Horton said. “Everyone out there pretty much played consistently for us, and that’s what we’ve been looking for.”

Horton said the Cyclones let a few strokes get away toward the end, but it wasn’t enough to detract from the tournament as a whole.

“The last two holes we were 8-over-par I think, so we struggled a little bit there,” Horton said. “We had some shots and we let it slip a little bit, but I was pleased with how we played. Everyone was in it at the end.”

Displaying the consistency and confidence Horton has been looking for all spring, ISU freshman Joe Cermak led the Cyclones for the second time in three events and finished ninth overall with a 219 (74-73-72).

“I think I hit the ball pretty good and I was happy with my swing and stuff,” Cermak said. “I think I had a good tournament going into the conference championships and I think I can go in and compete there.”

Rodney Hamblin provided Iowa State with a second top-15 finish when he ended one stroke back of Cermak and tied for 11th with a 220 (72-73-75). Paul Huddle was close behind with a 223 (74-75-74) and a tie for 25th.

Freshman Chris Baker carded a 224 (75-73-76), good for a tie at 29th, and Corey Schultz kept all five ISU golfers inside the top 50 with a 229 (78-75-76).

“We really started to get some consistency going today,” Horton said. “It was great to have everyone in it to the end and, for a while, I didn’t know what the drop score was going to be.”

With the Big 12 Championships less than two weeks away, Horton said that the long course at the Boilermaker Invitational could provide a good test for how things will go with a similar course in Trinity, Texas. Cermak, for one, considered the test passed.

“I really liked [the way it played],” said Cermak. “It forces you to be patient and make good shots.”

Missouri was able to hold off host Purdue’s third-round surge to win the event by eight strokes with a 3-under-par 861.

Illinois finished 11 strokes back of second place for third with an 880, one stroke ahead of Indiana’s 881 and two strokes ahead of fifth-place Wichita State’s 882.

Purdue’s Johan Edin won the event in historic fashion, firing a final-round course-record of 63 to take the title by four strokes. The 63 — 8-under-par — tied the 56-year-old school record.

Iowa State will now turn its attention to the Big 12 Championships on April 29 through May 1.

“I think I had everything working pretty well, I’ll work on straightening out a few things but I’m ready to go,” Cermak said. “I think we handled [this course] well and I’m ready to get out and compete at the conference championships.”