Matt Van Cleave is just the second Wildcat ever to be selected to the 10-member All-Big 12 team. (Photo: K-State Sports Information)

For the third straight year and fourth time in school history, the K-State men's golf team received a berth to the NCAA Men's Central Regional. The NCAA Golf Committee awarded the Wildcats with the 23rd seed in the 27-team Central Regional, which will be hosted by Notre Dame at the Warren Golf Course in Notre Dame, Ind., May 19-21.

The Central Regional is one of three regionals being contested to determine the field for the 2005 NCAA Men's Golf Championships, which will take place June 1-4 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. The teams that finish in the top 10 and the top two individuals not on advancing teams will advance from each of the three regionals. The Wildcats will be in pursuit of their first-ever trip to the NCAA Championships.

This is the Wildcats fourth regional bid since the NCAA adopted regional play in 1989. In 2003, the Wildcats were seeded 26th out of 27 teams and came within one stroke of qualifying for the NCAA Championships with an 11th-place finish.

The 2005 NCAA Men's Central Regional Golf Championships will consist of 54 holes, with 18 holes being played all three days of the event.

Attending the tournament will be senior Matt Van Cleave, who was named to the All-Big 12 team May 4. Van Cleave is just the second Wildcat ever to be selected to the 10-member squad, after former Wildcat Aaron Watkins was honored in 2003 and 2004.

"It's really a big honor when you play in a conference like the Big 12," head coach Tim Norris said. "When he came to K-State he was a good player, but he's really worked on his game and taken it to a new level and it has paid off. I think he's still got his best golf in front of him this season."

This season, Van Cleave has collected six top-five finishes, en route to leading the team with a stroke average of 72.41 in 36 rounds. As of May 4, he had pieced together three straight top-five finishes and has finished in the top five four of the preceding five events. In February, the Maryville, Mo., native earned his second career victory at the Matlock Invitational, as he shot a 4-under 212. His victory at the Matlock helped earn him Big 12 Golfer of the Month honors for February.