With the Iowa men’s golf team’s rise to No. 12 in the country, the Hawkeyes’ recruiting seems to have risen in the rankings as well. Iowa recently signed two top-150 players, Joseph Winslow and Brian Bullington, to suit up for the Black and Gold next fall.

Iowa closed out its fall season with a school record four-straight tournament wins — a mark that was also tops in the nation during that time.

Winslow, who hails from Overland Park, Kan., and attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School, is the 13th-ranked player in the class of 2011 by the POLO Golf Rankings, 21st overall in the country.

The 6-4 17-year-old has enjoyed 35 top-five finishes and 16 individual titles. He was also a two-time individual state champion in 2008 and 2009.

The ambitious Winslow wants to come in and immediately contribute to a talented Iowa team.

"I think it’s a phenomenal time to be a Hawkeye," he said. "I know there are a lot of great players at Iowa, but I want to be the best and make as big of an impact as I can.

"I want to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year."

Also coming to Iowa City next fall is Bullington, a native of Frankfurt, Ill. Over the past three years, he has distinguished himself as the top-ranked junior golfer in the state of Illinois. During that time he has helped lead the Lincoln-Way East Griffins to three-straight conference team championships.

Bullington, ranked No. 142 in the country by Golfweek, has been on Iowa’s radar since his freshman year in high school, and he was contacted by the Hawkeyes on Sept. 1 of last year. Bullington stood out to Iowa because of the way he handled himself on the course and his year-by-year improvement.

With four seniors on the roster graduating — most notably Vince India and Brad Hopfinger — it gives Winslow and Bullington a chance to step in right away and enjoy success on a young Iowa team.

"I think that was a good selling point," Bullington said. "There is an opportunity to help the team keep progressing and step in to help Iowa win."

Winslow and Bullington both fit perfectly into the team makeup that head coach Mark Hankins has instilled, and they should have no problem adjusting to college golf next fall.

"We’ve been watching [Joseph and Brian] for two years during the school year and summer at all different tournaments," Hankins said. "We look for great athletes as well as great students, and we recruit kids who fit in well here at Iowa."

What stood out to Hankins was the level of competitiveness displayed by the two golfers. Both Bullington and Winslow are extremely dedicated and play and train year-round to improve.

Bullington often videotapes his swing in his basement and studies it to improve his mechanics. Both players also attend indoor golf domes near their homes to work on their skills during the winter season in the Midwest.

Trips south to compete in tournaments during the school year is also something both recruits have in common.

"You have to be a strong team from top to bottom to be successful," Hankins said. "I think [Winslow and Bullington] expect to play right away. That’s not disrespectful to the upperclassman, but that’s the competitiveness to make sure everyone is striving to be the best. That fits in with what we’re trying to do."