BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Five Gulf South Conference men’s golf student-athletes earned national postseason accolades, as the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced its Division II All-Freshman and PING All-America teams for the 2022-23 season.
GCAA ALL-AMERICA ANNOUNCEMENT
Representing the conference among the GCAA/PING First Team All-America selections was Lee’s Beck Burnette and West Florida’s Elias Haavisto. UWF's Felipe Garces Garzon was a Second Team All-American selection, while Union's JJ Zimmer was a Third Team pick. In addition, Shorter’s Blake Henriques was named to the GCAA All-Freshman Team.
Burnette, the GSC Player of the Year, finished the season among Division II leaders as he ranked fifth-overall per GolfStat, while registering the second-best per round average (69.71). At the NCAA Division II Championship, he finished tied for eighth at 2-under par (214–71-75-68). This is second consecutive season Burnette was tabbed for GCAA First Team All-America honors.
Haavisto, the GSC Championship individual medalist, became the first player in conference’s first three-time winner. A Second Team selection a year ago, the Argonaut standout finished the 2022-23 season ranked sixth among national leaders per GolfStat, while recording the seventh-best per round score in Division II (70.87). At the NCAA DII Championship, Haavisto finished tied for eighth at 2-under (214–70-71-73). Additionally, he helped UWF captured the GSC and NCAA DII South/Southeast Regional crowns.
GCAA ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
GCAA ALL-REGION ANNOUNCEMENT
The GCAA South All-Region was previously announced with five GSC representatives named, including Lee’s Burnette and Dustin DeMersseman, UWF’s Haavisto and Garzon and Union’s Zimmer.
2022-23 GCAA POSTSEASON AWARDS
PING First Team All-America Team
Beck Burnette, Lee
Reece Coleman, Anderson
Charles DeLong, Grand Valley State
AJ Ewart, Barry
Elias Haavisto, West Florida
Linus Jonsson, Lander
Calahan Keever, Anderson
Jordan Lee, Western Washington
Andrew Riley, Palm Beach Atlantic
PING Second Team All-America Team
Felipe Alvarez, Barry
Mauricio Figueroa, Texas A&M International
Felipe Garces Garzon, West Florida
Nate Jetton, Stanislaus State
Carl Miltun, Missouri S&T
Griffin Pace, Sonoma State
Exequiel Rodriguez, Oklahoma Christian
Evan Thompson, North Georgia
PING Third Team All-America Team
Nick Krueger, Grand Valley State
Chase McLain, Georgia Southwestern
Matt Millar, CSU Pueblo
Mateo Pulcini, Oklahoma Christian
Jamie Roberts, CSU Pueblo
Joel Sylven, Missouri-St. Louis
Sam Tandy, Harding
JJ Zimmer, Union
All-Freshman Team
Alejandro De Castro, Anderson
Filippo Grossi, Wingate
Blake Henriques, Shorter
Caden Hodges, Fayetteville State
Lukas Taggart, Colorado Mines
GCAA South All-Region Team
Adam Alvarez, Florida Southern
Felipe Alvarez, Barry
Beck Burnette, Lee
Dustin DeMersseman, Lee
AJ Ewart, Barry
Felipe Garces Garzon, West Florida
Elias Haavisto, West Florida
Michael Hay, Nova Southeastern
Will O’Neill, Nova Southeastern
Andrew Riley, Palm Beach Atlantic
Josepa Torres, Nova Southeastern
JJ Zimmer, Union