Willamette Earns All-Academic Team Honors from GCAA

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team has received All-Academic Team recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America for the 2016-17 season. Willamette was the only Northwest Conference team to qualify for the honor.

A total of 36 teams in NCAA Division III were chosen for All-Academic Team recognition. Overall, 187 teams were honored from all three NCAA Divisions, the NAIA and the NJCAA.

"I'm really proud of the work the team has put into their academics to achieve this award," Head Men's Golf Coach Patrick Daugherty said. "These are full-time students competing at a high level and doing a great job in the classroom."

In order to qualify for the All-Academic Team award a 3.0 team grade point average was required during the academic year, including all players on a team's official squad list.

The teams with the highest GPA in each division of competition were named Academic National Champions. For 2016-17, the Academic National Champions were George State University (NCAA Division I), St. Edward's University (NCAA Division II), Kalamazoo College (NCAA Division III), Governor's State College (NAIA), Central Alabama College (NJCAA Division I), and Mineral Area College (NJCAA Division II).

Willamette finished the season in second place in the Northwest Conference for the third consecutive season. The Bearcats placed second at the NWC Fall Classic, second at the NWC Spring Classic, and third at the NWC Tournament (just three strokes from the lead).

During the year, Willamette won the Pacific Invitational, the Willamette Cup (hosted by Lewis & Clark College), the Whitworth Invitational, and the Willamette Spring Thaw (hosted by the Bearcats). Willamette shot a school record low round of 15-under par 273 on the second day of the Whitworth Invitational on March 12.