Newberry Men's Golf Named GCAA Team Academic Champions

Newberry Men's Golf Named GCAA Team Academic Champions
July 17, 2019

STORY COURTESY OF NEWBERRY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

NORMAN, Okla. – Newberry's men's golf team has been honored as the Academic National Champion by the Golf Coaches Association of America for achieving the highest team GPA of any two- or four-year institution in the nation.
 
Newberry won both the Division II and overall Academic National Championship with a sterling 3.84 GPA. Other division champions included New Mexico (NCAA Division I), Augsburg (NCAA Division III), SCAD-Atlanta (NAIA), Dodge City (NJCAA Division I), and North Central Missouri (NJCAA Division II).
 
The Wolves become the first NCAA Division II team to be crowned the GCAA's overall Academic National Champion since the award's inception in 2009.
 
"We are very pleased to have earned this award, and to be recognized by the GCAA as the Academic National Champion for men's golf," head coach Howard Vroon said. "Collegiate golf is incredibly time consuming for the student-athlete. This 2018-19 team worked extremely hard in the classroom and on the golf course, and this award will be very well received here on our campus."
 
"Many thanks to the GCAA for organizing this award and for recognizing our student-athletes for their hard work and impressive achievement in the classroom."
 
Individual men's golfers have been honored for their work in the classroom as well. Harry Bolton, the 2019 individual South Atlantic Conference champion who graduated in May with a 3.88 GPA, was named the SAC Scholar Athlete of the Year for Men's Golf. Eleven men's golfers were named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, helping both Newberry (207) and the SAC (1,736) to set new records for most student-athletes honored.
 
Newberry was the only SAC institution and one of just four Division II schools nationwide to receive President's Special recognition from the GCAA for having a 3.5 or higher GPA. Fellow SAC institutions Lincoln Memorial and Wingate joined Newberry among the 32 All-Academic Teams, which had a 3.0 or higher GPA.