Dec. 10, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio University Director of Golf Bob Cooley announced on Wednesday that Byron Firestone (Canton, Ohio) and Bradley Lucas (Worthington, Ohio) have signed National Letters of Intent to begin competing for the Bobcats in the 2009-10 season.

A product of Jackson High School, Firestone was named first-team all-county and All-Federal League in 2007 after qualifying for the state tournament. He also claimed the individual medal at the Mohican Hills Golf Club Junior Tournament and led his team to a victory at the Joe Haase Cup Match Play Team Event during the 2008 amateur season.

Lucas has captured top individual honors at the Ohio Capital Conference tournament twice during his time at Worthington High School, earning OCC Player of the Year and first-team all-district accolades as a junior. He has also earned an individual medal at the Brookside Country Club Invitational, while posting a top-15 finish at the 2008 AJGA Buick Open. He will join Worthington High School graduate, and current Ohio junior, Stewart Jamieson on the Ohio roster.

The Ohio men's golf team will open spring play on Feb. 21, when they travel to Hilton Head, S.C., for a head-to-head match with Marshall at Palmetto Dunes. The Bobcats posted a 3.31 grade-point average as a team in the recently-completed fall quarter, tops among Ohio men's teams. The team's current cumulative GPA of 3.18 also ranks second among Ohio's men's squads.