Nov. 18, 2008
IOWA CITY – University of Iowa Head Men’s Golf Coach Mark Hankins announced Tuesday that Ryan Marks has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa next fall. Marks is the first commitment of the 2009 recruiting class.
Marks, a native of Warrensburg, MO, has excelled in high school competition as well as national junior amateur events. As a junior at Warrensburg High School, Marks was crowned champion of the West Coast Conference Tournament and then placed fourth in the Missouri High School State Golf Championships. A two-sport athlete, Marks is currently competing in varsity basketball and will finish his senior golf season this upcoming spring.
This past summer, Marks qualified for the prestigious United States Junior Amateur Championship held in Shoal Creek, AL. Marks qualified 24th out of 154 players for match play before narrowly losing to the current No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the country, Jordan Spieth, 2 and 1.
According to Golfweek.com, Marks currently ranks 118th in the country and 62nd in the class of 2009.
“Ryan proved he can compete and win on the highest level in junior golf this past summer,” said Hankins. “He is a physically gifted athlete, extremely competitive and has high expectations for himself. He is an exciting talent and I am looking forward to his progress over the next summer leading into his freshman year here at The University of Iowa.”
In addition to qualifying for the United States Junior Amateur, Marks competed in several nationally recognized AJGA events, capturing four top 20 finishes including a T2 in the AJGA Lockton/Capital Federal in Kansas City, MO. He is currently the Missouri State Junior Amateur Champion, where his four-under-par (140), bested a field of 169 players this past July.
“I’m excited and really like Coach Hankins and Coach Stith. They know what they’re talking about and they’re taking the program in the right direction,” said Marks. “I really like the campus, the academic programs and the golf facilities are great.”