Gardner-Webb Men's Golf Has Four Honored With Big South Conference Postseason Awards
April 23, 2017 | Men's Golf
NINETY SIX, S.C. – Gardner-Webb had four men's golfers honored with Big South Conference postseason awards, with three All-Conference selections and an All-Freshman choice.
Seniors Vincent Blanchette (Saint Jean, Quebec / College Charles Lemoyne) and Chris Jones (Charlotte, N.C. / Hickory Grove Christian) and junior Aaron Thomas (Mount Holly, N.C. / Highland Tech) were named to the Big South's All-Conference Team and Steffen Smith (Alpharetta, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian) earned a spot on the 2017 All-Freshman team.
Blanchette, who carries a 3.57 cumulative GPA as a business management major, was also named to the league's All-Academic Team.
Blanchette earned a spot on the All-Big South Conference team for the second season in a row. He posted a stroke average of 72.64 during the regular season (25 rounds) and finished tied for seventh at the 2017 Big South Conference Championship.
Blanchette was the team's top finisher four times overall in 2016-2017, with a top finish of second at the 2017 Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate on February 28. He posted four top-10 finishes on the season.
Jones finished in a tie for 13th at the 2017 Big South Conference Championship and ranked third on the squad this season with a stroke average of 73.15 through 27 regular season rounds. He posted team medalist honors three times in 2016-2017, with three top-10 finishes.
Jones' best finish came at the 2017 Furman Intercollegiate, when he tied for fifth. He helped Gardner-Webb to a team title at the 2016 Elon Phoenix Invitational in October, tying for sixth place with Aaron Thomas to secure the league's co-Player of the Week honor.
Thomas enjoyed a breakout season as a junior, leading the team during the regular season with a 72.63 stroke average (27 rounds). He joined Blanchette in a tie for seventh at the 2017 Big South Conference Championship.
Thomas led Gardner-Webb individually five times during the season, with a top finish of fifth at the 2015 Golfweek Program Challenge. He joined Jones in a tie for sixth at the 2016 Elon Phoenix Invitational, helping Gardner-Webb to a team title in October.
Smith emerged as a regular in the lineup in his first season on campus and had a strong showing at the 2017 Big South Conference Championship – moving up into a tie for 13th by the end of that event.
He posted a 75.58 stroke average during the regular season, with a top round of 68 to help GWU win the 2016 Elon Phoenix Invitational in October.
Gardner-Webb head coach Tee Burton was runner up for the league's Coach of the Year honor, tying with Liberty's Jeff Thomas with 12 votes each. Campbell's John Crooks was named Big South Coach of the Year after leading his team to the tournament championship.
Gardner-Webb's third-place finish was the team's best effort at the Big South Championship since taking second place in 2011.
2017 All-Conference Team
Jesper Svensson, Soph., Campbell
Mickey DeMorat, Jr., Liberty
Isaiah Logue, Jr., Liberty
Kieran Vincent, Fr., Liberty
Myles Creighton, Jr., Radford
Gabe Lench, Soph., Liberty
Vincent Blanchette, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Aaron Thomas, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Ray Kraivixien, Soph., Campbell
Chris Jones, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
All-Freshman Team
Kieran Vincent, Fr., Liberty
Brett McLamb, Fr., Campbell
Brendan MacDougall, Fr., High Point
Max Theodorakis, Fr., Campbell
Steffen Smith, Fr. Gardner-Webb
All-Academic Team
Ray Kraivixien, Soph., Campbell
Jake Ezell, Jr., Charleston Southern
Vincent Blanchette, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Emile Menard, Jr., High Point
Mickey DeMorat, Jr., Liberty
Jordan Boulton, Soph., Longwood
Hayden Ploeger, Sr., Presbyterian College
Myles Creighton, Jr., Radford
Bradley Kauffman, Sr., Winthrop
Golfer of the Year
Jesper Svensson, Soph., Campbell
Freshman of the Year
Kieran Vincent, Fr., Liberty
Coach of the Year
John Crooks, Campbell
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Myles Creighton, Jr., Radford
All-Championship Team (Top 5 finishers)
Jesper Svensson, Campbell
Kieran Vincent, Liberty
Thomas La Morte, Campbell
Myles Creighton, Radford
Mickey DeMorat, Liberty
