Four Huntingdon golfers earn All-Conference recognition
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Four Huntingdon golfers were recognized with the release of the USA South All-Conference golf awards on Thursday.
Juniors Mark Connelly and Stephen Shephard both earned first-team All-Conference honors, senior Jon Colten Stanaland was a second-team selection and sophomore Drew Mathers was named honorable mention. Stanaland was also named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
This is the first All-Conference recognition for Connelly, Stanaland and Mathers and the third season Shephard has been recognized by the USA South. Shephard was named Rookie of the Year in 2016 and was an honorable mention selection last season.
Connelly, who is ranked sixth in the Golfstat Division III rankings, leads the Hawks with a scoring average of 72.67 in 21 rounds this season. He has turned in three rounds in the 60s this season and seven rounds or par or better. Connelly won the O'Briant-Jensen Memorial to close the fall season and placed second in two other events. He tied for second in the Tournament Town Preview and placed second behind Stanaland in the Emory Invitational.
Shephard is ranked 13th in the Golfstat Division III rankings and has a scoring average of 72.71 in 21 rounds this season. He has fired three rounds in the 60s and shot par or better seven times this season. Shephard won the DIII Golfweek Fall Invitational with an 8-under-par 205. The three-round total was the best by a Hawk during the NCAA era. Shephard tied for fourth in the O'Briant-Jensen Memorial and has finished in the top-10 in five of the Hawks' nine tournaments.
Stanaland is averaging 73.90 in 21 rounds this season and leads the Hawks with nine rounds of par or better. In the first round of the Emory Invitational, he turned in the Hawks' best round of the year with a 3-under 67. Stanaland has finished in the top-four in three tournaments this season. In addition to winning the Emory Invitational, he finished fourth in the Tournament Town Preview and the DIII Golfweek Fall Invitational.
Mathers is averaging 74.27 in 15 rounds this season and has shot par or better five times. Mathers has finished in the top-eight in two tournaments this season. He won the Wynlakes Intercollegiate and tied for eighth in the SAA Men's Golf Preview.
Huntingdon entered Thursday's USA South Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed and the second-ranked team in Division III. The Hawks are averaging 291.24 per round this season and have finished in the top five in all nine tournaments this season. Huntingdon has finished second in four tournaments, third in four events and fifth in one event.
Methodist junior Chris Drysdale was named the USA South Golfer of the Year and Maryville freshman Tyler Bray was named the USA South Rookie of the Year. Methodist's Steve Conley was named the USA South Coach of the Year.
The complete All-Conference awards are listed below.
USA South All-Conference Men's Golf Awards
Golfer of the Year: Chris Drysdale, Methodist
Rookie of the Year: Tyler Bray, Maryville
Coach of the Year: Steve Conley, Methodist
First Team
Mark Connelly, Huntingdon
Chris Drysdale, Methodist
Larkin Gross, Methodist
Lance Keiser, Ferrum
Stephen Shephard, Huntingdon
Second Team
Tyler Bray, Maryville
Jared Chinn, Methodist
Levi Grogan, Greensboro
Aaron Purviance, Methodist
Jon Colten Stanaland, Huntingdon
Honorable Mention
Grady Anderson, N.C. Wesleyan
Scott Campbell, Greensboro
Juan de Giacomi, N.C. Wesleyan
Drew Mathers, Huntingdon
Sportsmanship
Tuomas Tyry, Averett
Kevin Kim, Berea
Austin Fisher, Brevard
Will Mayfield, Covenant
Damian Beasley, Ferrum
Jacob Neal, Greensboro
Jon Colten Stanaland, Huntingdon
Jake Nelson, LaGrange
Wil Manuel, Maryville
Jared Chinn, Methodist
Tucker Mooring, N.C. Wesleyan
Cory Selander, Pfeiffer
Matthew Leeman, Piedmont
Cody McDaniel, William Peace