A total of 12 student-athletes have been named to the 2012 All-Sunshine State Conference Men’s Golf Team. Nova Southeastern swept the major awards. Ben Taylor was selected Golfer of the Year. Oscar Lengden was tabbed Freshman of the Year. Garrett Runion garnered Coach of the Year honors.
Named to the All-SSC First Team with Taylor were: Ricardo Celia (Nova Southeastern), Marcelo Rozo (Lynn), Daniel Stapff (Barry), and Daniel Young (Lynn).
Earning All-SSC Second-Team accolades with Lengden were: Nick Brothers (Saint Leo), Spencer Cole (Rollins), Case Gard (Florida Southern), and Marcus Segerstrom (Barry).
Barry’s Scott Smyers and Florida Tech’s Christian Westhorpe were given honorable mention.
Voting for the All-SSC Men’s Golf Team was conducted among the league’s men’s golf coaches and sports information directors.
A sophomore from Leatherhead, England, Taylor posted a 71.19 stroke average over 27 rounds. He collected seven top-five finishes and two individual wins. One of his first-place finishes came at the SSC Championship, where he tallied a three-round, even-par score of 216 on a challenging course at The Concession in Bradenton, Fla. His other medalist honor came at the Otter Invitational. Taylor additionally finished second in three other events.
In his debut season from Helsingborg, Sweden, Lengden had a particularly strong finish to his spring season. He logged a top-10 finish in each of the Sharks’ last four tournaments. Lengden was the individual champion at Barry’s Buccaneer Invitational. He then finished second at the SSC Championship, completing 54 holes just one stroke behind medalist Taylor. He concluded the spring season with a 72.96 stroke average over 27 rounds.
After assuming the helm of the NSU men’s golf program heading into the fall season, Runion led his squad to a stellar campaign. The Sharks placed in the top five in all nine of the events in which they competed. The won the team title at the Queens Invitational and the St. Edward’s Invitational. Runion’s squad made quite a statement at the SSC Championship, posting a dominating 37-stroke win. NSU is ranked No. 2 in the Golf World/Nike Men’s Golf Poll heading into the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Super Regional, which will be held in Conover, N.C., May 7-9.
2012 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE MEN’S GOLF TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Ricardo Celia, Nova Southeastern, Sophomore
Marcelo Rozo, Lynn, Senior
Daniel Stapff, Barry, Senior
Ben Taylor, Nova Southeastern, Sophomore
Daniel Young, Lynn, Junior
Golfer of the Year – Ben Taylor, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year – Oscar Lengden, Nova Southeastern
Coach of the Year – Garrett Runion, Nova Southeastern
SECOND TEAM
Nick Brothers, Saint Leo, Junior
Spencer Cole, Rollins, Senior
Case Gard, Florida Southern, Junior
Oscar Lengden, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Marcus Segerstrom, Barry, Junior
HONORABLE MENTION
Scott Smyers, Barry, Sophomore
Christian Westhorpe, Florida Tech, Senior