MEN'S NOTES
Austin Peay: Austin Peay closed out the 2006-07 season with a third place finish at the O’Reilly OVC Championships. Senior Yoshio Yamamoto finished eighth to lead the Govs while Justin Metzger was 10th. Junior Grant Leaver was named a first-team All-OVC pick while Yamamoto and freshman Erik Barnes were second-team selections. Barnes also was named OVC Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team. Leaver finished the year second in the Conference in stroke average (72.1), 0.8 strokes behind Tennessee Tech’s Scott Stallings. Yamamoto was fourth, Barnes finish, Metzger 11th and Chris Barron 12th.
Eastern Illinois: Eastern Illinois wrapped up its season with a sixth place finish at the O’Reilly OVC Championships. Senior Anthony Imburgia, in his only year with the team after transferring, finished sixth overall after rounds of 75, 76 and 73. He was one of five players selected to the All-OVC Newcomer Team. His 74.2 stroke average for the year was tied for 18th in the OVC and was tops on the team. Following the season he was named a CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first-team selection.
Eastern Kentucky: The 2006 OVC Tournament Champions were unable to defend their crown in 2007 and finished second behind Jacksonville State at the Country Club of Paducah. The Colonels were 22 strokes behind the eventual champions. Shaun McConnell, a first-team All-OVC pick, was EKU’s top finisher, placing fifth overall (+5) while junior Phil Hendrickson was 10th (+11). McConnell had the team’s top stroke average (72.8) on the season, narrowly edging Hendrickson, a second-team All-OVC selection, by 0.1 stroke. Justin Moore was right behind that duo at 73.0. The Colonels actually competed in two events after the OVC Championships, winning the FirstEnergy Intercollegiate in Akron, Ohio and taking third at the Penn State Rutherford Intercollegiate.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State added to its 2004 Championship by claiming the 2007 O’Reilly OVC Championship and earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. JSU won over Eastern Kentucky by 22 strokes, the largest margin of victory in the championship in over 20 years. Sophomore Daniel Willett won individual medalist honors (-2) and was named Tournament MVP while James Hobbs was named OVC Coach of the Year. Julian Colmenares and Bryan Rozier tied for second at the championship (+4). Willett, who was tied for second in the OVC in stroke average for the year (72.1), was a first-team All-OVC pick while Marcus Harrell was an All-Newcomer selection. The Gamecocks were sent to the NCAA East Regional in Alpharetta, Ga. and finished 18th out of 27 teams. Rozier was among the leaders through the first two rounds (he was fifth entering the final round) but slipped a bit the last day and finished 33rd overall.
Morehead State: Morehead State finished seventh at the O’Reilly OVC Championships and were paced by a 12th place finish from senior Kyle Litter (+12). Litter finished the season in a tie for 20th in the OVC in stroke average (74.3), tied with teammate Austin Hansford. Morehead was led in stroke average by Matt Gann, who was 10th in the League (73.3). Gann, a senior, was a second-team All-OVC pick.
Murray State: Murray State was fourth overall this season at the O’Reilly OVC Championship. Jerry Price paced the team with a 12th place overall finish (+12). Price finished the year with the team’s stroke average lead (74.0), just ahead of senior Michael Craft (74.1). Price finished the year 14th in the OVC in stroke average while Craft was 15th best. Mark Brant was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.
Samford: Samford took fifth place at the O’Reilly OVC Championships, two strokes behind Murray State who finished fourth. Senior Reed Davis was seventh overall at the Championships, after rounds of 74, 78 and 73 (+9). He has ninth in the OVC in stroke average (73.2) for the entire season. Davis was a second-team All-OVC selection.
Tennessee State: TSU was 10th at the O’Reilly OVC Championships. The Tigers were led by sophomore Adam Gruber who was eighth overall after rounds of 77, 74 and 75 (+10). His average got better as the season went along, as he ended the year with a 74.1 stroke average, 15th-best in the Conference.
Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech came home with an eighth place finish at the O’Reilly OVC Championship. The story of the event was senior Scott Stallings, who was named OVC Player of the Year for the second straight year. Stallings was at 3-under and in first place halfway through the final round before firing three double bogeys and recording a nine on one hole to finish second overall at the championship (+4), six strokes behind the individual medalist. Stallings finished the year with the top stroke average in the OVC (71.3), nearly a full stroke ahead of the second place individual. Stallings was a first-team All-OVC pick while Josh Simer was an All-Newcomer pick.
UT Martin: Tennessee-Martin was ninth overall at the O’Reilly OVC Championships. Trey McNeil was the team’s top finisher, placing 23rd overall (+18), one stroke ahead of teammate Robert Lents (+19). Lents was 27th overall in the OVC in stroke average (74.9).
WOMEN'S NOTES
Austin Peay: Austin Peay finished fifth at the O’Reilly OVC Championship and were led by freshman Staci Lynch who placed seventh overall (+22). Lynch was named the OVC Co-Freshman of the Year and was a first-team All-OVC pick after finishing the year ranked second in stroke average in the OVC (76.3). Lynch was also one of five individuals selected to the OVC All-Newcomer team. Freshman Angie Manzitto, who joined the team at the semester break, ended the year 17th in stroke average (80.9) in the Conference.
Eastern Illinois: The Panthers wrapped-up the season with a sixth place finish at the O’Reilly OVC Championship held at Drake Creek Golf Club in Ledbetter, Ky. Eastern Illinois was led by sophomore Carrie Riordan who had an excellent finish at fifth overall (+19). She had rounds of 79, 79 and 77 to earn All-Tournament team honors. Senior Chelsea Bach was 24th overall at the event but led the team in stroke average for the year (79.0), which was 9th best in the OVC; Bach earned second-team All-OVC as well as All-Newcomer honors.
Eastern Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky had a fourth place showing to end the season at the O’Reilly OVC Championship. The Lady Colonels were led by Leslie Booth who was 13th (+25), but the entire team was in a tight group. Melissa Rosloniec was a stroke behind Booth in 15th place while the other three Eastern golfers - Kelli Warner, Aubree Moore and Rachel Montgomery - tied for 19th (+29). Rosloniec led the team and was 14th overall in the OVC in stroke average (80.6). Moore was named a CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District pick after the year.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State claimed its third straight O’Reilly OVC Championship with a start-to-finish lead and won by 16 strokes, the fourth largest margin in championship history. JSU became the third OVC program to win three straight women’s golf crowns (Murray State has done it twice). Freshman Manuela Tarazona, the OVC Player of the Year, was the runner-up at the championship (+15), eight strokes behind the medalist. Tarazona was also named Co-Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-OVC selection and an All-Newcomer pick. Portia Abbott, who was third at the OVC Championship, was a second-team All-OVC pick along with Mercedes Huarte, who was fourth at the Championship. The Gamecocks other two golfers - Alexandra Espinosa and Ashley Cox - tied for 10th at the Championship. JSU competed in the NCAA East Regional in Baton Rouge, La. and finished 20th overall. Abbott was 74th overall to lead the team.
Murray State: Murray State finished as the runners-up to Jacksonville State at this year’s O’Reilly OVC Championship. The Racers were led by freshman Andrea Downer who was fifth overall (+19). Bethany Yates was just three strokes back and placed seventh while Christi Baron was 10th (+24). Baron and Downer were both named first-team All-OVC selections while Downer also made the All-Newcomer team. Downer finished the year fifth in the OVC in stroke average (78.2) while Yates jumped to eighth (78.9) following her performance at the Championships. Baron was 11th overall in the final stroke average standings (80.3).
Samford: Samford finished third at the O’Reilly OVC Championship and were paced by freshman Katelyn Stanier, who became just the second freshman to win the individual medalist honors at the event. Stanier shot rounds of 75, 74 and 74 to finish at +7, eight strokes ahead of OVC Player of the Year Manuela Tarazona. Her eight-stroke victory was the second largest in OVC history and her three-round average (74.67) was tied for second best in event history. She was named a first-team All-OVC selection and an All-Newcomer pick and finished fourth (77.7) in stroke average in the Conference. Teammate Kellie O’Connell was seventh overall at the Championship (+22).
Tennessee State: Tennessee State concluded its season with an eighth place finish at the O’Reilly OVC Championship. The Lady Tigers were led by Danielle Stewart’s 35th place finish (+52). Stewart finished the year second on the team in stroke average (93.4), just behind junior LaToya Moppins, whose 93.3 stroke average led the team.
Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech was seventh at this year’s O’Reilly OVC Championship. The Golden Eagles were led by Carla Hazelwood who finished tied for 13th (+25). Madison Denman and Ashley Spangler were both All-OVC second-team picks as they finished first and second on the team in stroke average. Denman was 12th in the OVC (80.3) while the fellow sophomore Spangler was 13th (80.5). The young team also got a good year from freshman Katie Taylor who was 15th in stroke average (80.6).