WINONA, Minn. — If the Carleton Invitational is any indication of how the upcoming Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's golf championships are going to unfold, the Saint Mary's University men's golf team should be right in the thick of the title chase.

The Cardinals, fueled by a the seven-over-par 77 of Eric Thom (Portland, Ore.) and the eight-over 78 of Matt Konicek (Wauconda, Ill.), grabbed the first-day lead in the two-day, 36-hole event — holding a four-shot edge over Gustavus and St. Olaf, a five-shot advantage over Augsburg and a nine-shot cushion over defending MIAC champion St. John's.

Thom continued his sizzling start in Day 2, carding a 3-over 73, and his 150 total earned him the school's first-ever meet medalist honor. The rest of the Cardinals, however, couldn't quite keep pace, as SMU slipped to third overall with a 638 total, 11 shots back of champion Gustavus.

"I thought we played very well," said SMU coach Tom Farren. "But we are still searching for that consistency that separates the great teams from the good ones. We put ourselves in position to contend for the title, but we couldn't repeat our performance of Sunday in Monday's final round.

"Getting close (to a tournament title) is an important step for our golf program," Farren continued. "But learning to finish it off and learning to play with a lead is another step, another hurdle that we need to clear."

Konicek finished with a 159 total, adding an 81 to his first-round 78, while Kyle Sabot (Arden Hills, Minn.) added a 161 (82-79), Joe Monaldi chipped in a 168 (80-88) and Brendan Hollandsworth (Flossmoor, Ill.) finished iwth a 187 (91-96).

The Cardinals' second team finished eighth in the nine-team field with a 694 total. D.J. Schweitzer (Johnsburg, Ill.) led the way with a 166 (86-80), followed by Paul Hable (Shoreview, Minn.; 90-82—172), Tony Headrick (Oakdale, Minn.; 93-88—181); Dan Conzemius (Prior Lake, Minn.; 82-93—175) and Nick Morse (Duluth, Minn.; 110-122).