UTEP men’s golf team wins Conference USA title

Party like it’s 1985.

The UTEP men’s golf team won a conference championship for the first time in 32 years on Tuesday, defeating Charlotte 4-1 in match play to claim the Conference USA championship.

The win gave the Miners only their second conference title in program history and guaranteed their spot in the NCAA Regionals beginning on May 15.

The Miners have not been to a regional tournament since the 2004 season.

They said the key was getting off to a fast start against Charlotte.

“You have a lot of moving parts going on,” sixth-year head coach Scott Lieberwirth said. “It’s tough to judge [the match]. The best part is we got the first two points on the board. Knowing that we had leads in two other matches, we knew we just needed to hang on and close out one of those matches.”

The win was particularly special for Frederik Dreier, the lone senior on UTEP’s roster.

“It was very emotional,” Dreier said. “This being my last conference [tournament] ever and to win it with the guys was amazing.”

Dreier, who was the Conference USA golfer of the year, won a tough match against Charlotte’s John Gough to clinch the title for the Miners.

“I think fittingly, it was Frederik Dreier’s match that clinched it for us, him being a senior, him being the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year,” Lieberwirth said. “It couldn’t have been a better ending for us to have Freddie finish it.”