ANGOLA, IND. -- The Trine University men's golf team earned recognition by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for their combined individual efforts in the classroom during the 2018-19 academic year with selection to the All-Academic Team. In addition, four individuals were also recognized as Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars.
[GCAA All-Academic Teams] [GCAA All-America Scholars]
Trine was one of 38 schools in NCAA Division III to receive the award by maintaining a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. Trine has received the award a total of seven times since 2011 which now includes a streak of six straight years (2014-19).
The Thunder were one of three total schools from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to be named Team All-Academic with Hope and Kalamazoo also earning the honor. Kalamazoo also made the list of schools that received the President's Special Recognition which is given to teams with a GPA above 3.5.
Individually, Grant Brettnacher (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison), Joe LeSueur (Northfield Center, Ohio/Trinity), Todd Mieske (Owosso, Mich./Owosso) and Nick Knowlton (Bridgman, Mich./Bridgman) represented Trine with Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar individual honors. To be eligible for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status an individual must be a junior or senior academically in Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their Associate's Degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA. In addition, they participate in 50-percent of his team's competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 76.0 in Division I, 78.0 in Division II, 78.0 in NAIA and 79.0 in Division III, 77.0 in NJCAA, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2.
Trine finished third in the MIAA standings last season and averaged 299.8 strokes per round in five conference events and six total rounds. Brettnacher and Cameron Ruge both earned second-team All-MIAA honors in 2018-19. Brettnacher finished in a three-way tie for 12th overall in conference events with a average round of 75.0 strokes. Ruge posted a top-10 finish in the MIAA in ninth with a stroke average of 74.3.
Trine will open the 2019-20 fall season with the two-day Olivet Invitational on Aug. 30-31 at the Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek, Mich. The first round is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
