Men’s Golf Named Academic National Champs by GCAA
NORMAN, Okla. — For University of New Mexico head coach Glen Millican, his goal is to get a national title on the golf course, and a few years ago his team got close, making it to the final eight teams, advancing to Match Play. Today, his program got the next-best thing.
The Lobo men’s golf team was named to 18Birdies Academic National Champions for Division I golf by the Golf Coaches Association of America. It marks the program’s first academic national title, and it is the highest honor ever bestowed on the program.
With men’s golf earning the honor, they became the second Lobo program this season to win an academic national title, as the women’s cross country team earned the honor from the USTFCCCA. Women’s cross country won the university’s third team national title, taking the NCAA cross country title in November.
“Lobo golfers have always done a great job in the classroom and really challenged themselves academically,” said Millican. “However, their performance and GPA last semester was truly outstanding with seven of the 11 guys making a 4.0 in the Spring semester.”
Millican added, “I’m very happy for them to receive such great recognition and they should be proud of the commitment they show to academics. Th achieve these grades in the types of classes they take while missing a good amount of school makes it more special. Congratulations to each of our guys and Go Lobos!”
The men’s golf team last semester recorded a 3.89 grade point average, and that mark was the highest GPA ever for a men’s athletic team in Lobo history. Of the top five semester GPAs for the men’s golf team, all have come in the last three academic years. The team recorded a 3.65 GPA in the Fall semester, which is the third-highest for the program. The top three GPAs have come in the last three semesters. The team in 2017-18 missed the NCAA Championships, but the year prior in 2016-17 it finished fourth in the West Lafayette Regional, advancing to NCAA Championships at Rich Harvest Farms.
The GCAA also named the academic national champions for all divisions. Joining UNM was Bellarmine in Division II, Swarthmore in Division III, Bethel (KS) in NAIA, Dodge City in NJCAA Division I and South Mountain in NJCAA Division II.