COON RAPIDS, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University men's golf team opened the season with their record-setting performance against Macalester, coach Tom Farren thought maybe — just maybe — this would be the year that his Cardinals would make their move in the MIAC.

Unfortunately for Farren, after watching his Cardinals turn in their worst day of the season in struggling to a 338 total during the opening day of the two-day conference championships Saturday, maybe turned into, maybe not.

Jesse Polk (Hastings, Minn.) shot a respectable seven-over-par 79 during the opening round – but that was as good as it got for the Cardinals, whose second-best Day 1 score was Justin Magill's (Lake Elmo, Minn.) 84.

And things didn't get much better in Sunday's final round.

"It was just one of those weekends where we never got it going," said Farren, whose team did make up two places with a 320 in Sunday's final round to finish eighth in the 10-team field. "Friday's round was probably the worst round we could have had — at the worst possible moment.

"We dug ourselves too deep a hole, and while we played a little better (Sunday), it was too little, too late."

Polk added a 76 to his first-day 79 to finish in a tie for 13th overall with a 155 total. Magill added a 79—163, while Curtis Nosal (Omaha, Neb. / 88-81—169), Kyle Roark (Waterloo, Iowa / 87-84—171) and Scott Savage (Mahtomedi, Minn. / 90-86—176) rounded out SMU's lineup.

"I can't fault the guys' effort, we just weren't able to get it done," said Farren. "Everyone on this team was focusing on playing their best in this meet — we all wanted this year to be the year we made some noise. I think the pressure of the meet, and the pressure the guys put on themselves, was too much."