Nashville, TN - On Sunday evening, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference presented its inaugural Men’s and Women’s Golf Awards prior to the start of the Golf Championship Tournament at Hermitage Golf Course, which will tee off on Monday, April 22, 2013.
Cedarville University, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Urbana University will battle through 36 holes on Monday and conclude with 18 holes on Tuesday before crowning a champion, while the women’s side of the Championship Trevecca Nazarene University, Urbana University, and Ursuline College will play 18 holes on each day in its 36-hole event.
All-Conference honors will be handed out immediately following the tournament, but on Sunday the Men’s and Women’s Coaches of the Year, the Men’s and Women’s Freshmen of the Year, and the Men’s and Women’s Golfer of the Year were announced.
Ursuline College Women’s Golf Head Coach, Jen Irwin, was recognized as the G-MAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year. In her first year as Head Coach, Irwin’s roster features a group of six freshmen. The team won four separate events this season, including the Battle of the Northeast - a match three-team match against Notre Dame College and Lake Erie College. The Arrows also brought home wins from the Thiel Invitational (five teams), the St. Vincent Invitational (eight teams), and the Waterfront Classic (six teams). Overall, Ursuline finished in the top-5 eight times of nine tournaments this season.
Trevecca Freshman, Kaylon King, received the biggest honors of the night on the women’s side of things, being named both G-MAC Women’s Golf Freshman of the Year and G-MAC Women’s Golfer of the Year. King holds an average of 82 per 18 holes this season. She had four rounds in the 70’s , twice shooting a season-low of 75. Her 153 total at Berry College’s Rome News-Tribune Invitational stands as the second best score ever turned in during a 36-hole tournament in school history. Her top finishes included: finishing second in a field of 55 golfers at the Trevecca Invitational; finishing second in a field of 74 golfers at Berry College; and placing ninth in a field of 96 golfers at Berry College
Trevecca Nazarene University Men’s Golf Coach, Robbie Wilson, was named the G-MAC Men’s Golf Coach of the Year. In his seventh season at TNU, his team won the Cedarville Invitational (five teams) in September, and shot four of the five lowest two-day totals in the conference this season. They finished third at their home Spring Invitational (10 teams), and finished 11th at the Chick-Fil-A Collegiate Tournament (25 teams).
Trevecca Freshman, Logan Martin, was recognized as the G-MAC Men’s Freshman of the Year, as he had a tremendous first season of collegiate golf. Martin posted a season scoring average of 77.33 through six tournaments. He finished tied for third at Cedarville’s Yellow Jacket Invitational and also at the Lee University Spring Invitational. He was selected to the All-Tournament Team at both events. His low round was 70 (-2 under) at the Lee’s Spring Invitational.
Rounding out the awards, Sophomore Jacob Forsythe of Cedarville University was named the G-MAC Men’s Golfer of the Year. Forsythe shot a conference-low average of 75.85 on the year. He qualified as an individual for the NCCAA Men's National Golf Tournament in the fall, and has positioned himself to qualify as an individual for the Men's DII Super Regional Event, that would then allow him to qualify for the Men's DII National Championship. Forsythe’s top performance came in the Division II Midwest Regional event in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where among 120 players and 24 teams, he placed in a tie for the third place overall. He carries a 4.0 GPA and is an active member of the Student Athletic Advisory Council.