May 21, 2010

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . A pair of Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) men's golfers have been named to the Division III PING All-Central Region Team announced recently by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

Buena Vista University senior Andy Soper (Estherville, Iowa/Estherville-Lincoln Central) and Central College senior Andrew Townsend (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) were each named to the 12-member all-region squad.

Soper captured medalist honors at the 2010 Iowa Conference Men's Golf Championships after firing four rounds in the 70s for a 298 total. In 12 rounds, Soper posted a 75.3-stroke average, ranking second in the IIAC. He also posted three top-10 finishes and three rounds at or below par.

Townsend lost a sudden-death playoff for third place at the Iowa Conference Championships, but still posted the league's top scoring average at 75.0 over 24 rounds. Playing in 11 events, he posted four top-5 finishes and five rounds of par or below, including a season-low 71 on three occasions. Townsend capped his career with a tie for 31st place at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships after firing a 72-80-75-73—300 while leading the Dutch to a tie for 17th place.

Complete list of Division III PING All-Region Teams

Three Named GCAA Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars
Three Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) men's golfers have been named 2010 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars for NCAA Division III. The 38-member team was announced by the Golf Coaches Association of American (GCAA) at the Division III Men’s National Golf Tournament held May 11-14 at the Hershey Links and Hershey Country Club, Hershey, Penn., and hosted by Elizabethtown College.

Luther College's Ross Jacobucci and Alec Schumacher were recognized, as was Central College’s Andrew Townsend. Jacobucci and Townsend are repeat honorees.

Jacobucci placed second at the 2010 Iowa Conference Championships, defeating Townsend on the third hole of a sudden death playoff. Schumacher was 11th.

Jacobucci is the seventh golfer in Luther history to be named an All-America Scholar twice during his career. All three are members of the Iowa Conference All-Academic Team.

Central’s men’s golfers have received All-America Scholars recognition 37 times since 1984, the most of any Iowa school. During his 23-year career, Luther coach Scott Fjelstul has coached 13 golfers who have earned 20 Scholar All-America Honors.

To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a junior or senior academically and competed in at least two full years at the collegiate level, participated in 70-percent of his teams competitive rounds or compete in the NCAA championship, have a stroke average of 79.0 or lower in Division III and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.

Complete list of Division III Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars

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