Lynn is Heartland Coach of Year, three Eagles on team
WACO, Texas (April 25, 2019) – After guiding Oklahoma Christian to the Heartland Conference title and the No. 1 ranking in the South Central Region, OC men’s golf coach David Lynn was named Thursday as the Heartland’s coach of the year for the third time.
Joining Lynn on the Heartland’s annual all-conference teams were a pair of first-team selections, Andres Brictson and Trevor Norby, and a second-team pick, Juan Pallach. The Eagles landed three players on the All-Heartland teams for a second straight season.
“All three of these guys are very deserving of All-Heartland recognition,” Lynn said. “I am so proud of all their hard work this year.”
Lynn is now an eight-time conference coach of the year, having received the honor in the Sooner Athletic Conference five times (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012) before winning it in the Heartland in 2013, 2016 and this year. He is the only OC coach in any sport to have been named as a Heartland coach of the year.
This season, the Eagles have won five tournaments, the program’s highest total since winning five in the 2011-12 season. The most recent came in dramatic fashion, as OC didn’t take the lead until Norby buried a 15-foot birdie putt of the tournament’s final hole to give his team a one-shot win in the Heartland Conference Championship at Slick Rock Golf Course in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.
OC cracked the top 10 in the NCAA Division II coaches’ poll for the first time, reaching No. 9, and last week moved to No. 1 in the NCAA’s South Central Region rankings for the first time in program history, becoming the first OC athletic team to achieve that feat. With the Heartland title, the Eagles earned an automatic spot in next month’s Division II South Central-West Super Regional.
“Being recognized as coach of the year is extremely satisfying,” Lynn said. “The players and my graduate assistant, Casey Rebmann, have all put in a tremendous amount of work to get us to the point where we are this year. I am so thankful to all of them and this award is truly a reflection of all of our hard work together.”
Brictson won a three-way playoff (that included Norby) to take the Heartland’s individual title, sealing him a spot on the All-Heartland first-team list. The sophomore from Merida, Mexico, won his first two collegiate tournaments this season, also taking top honors at the St. Edward’s Invitational at Onion Creek Club’s North Course in Austin, Texas.
He posted an adjusted scoring average of 73.16 and is ranked 127th individually in Division II. He posted 16 rounds this season at or under par.
“Andres has truly had a breakout season, with two victories, including winning the conference title in a playoff,” Lynn said. “Andres has proven he can play with the best players and beat them when he’s playing well.”
Norby, a junior from Carlsbad, Calif., who transferred to OC from San Diego State before the season, broke through for his first collegiate win in the Broncho Invitational at Oak Tree Country Club’s East Course in Edmond, Okla. His 8-under-par 64 in the second round of the Heartland tournament tied the program and conference record for low score in relation to par.
Like Brictson, Norby had 16 rounds at or under par during the season and his adjusted scoring average of 72.12 ranks 49th in Division II.
“After starting a little slow in the fall while getting used to the wind and the different types of grass, Trevor has really put together a great season,” Lynn said. “Trevor brings some attitude to our team and an ability to grind out a decent round even when he’s playing poorly.”
Pallach, a senior from Mexico City, made the All-Heartland list for a second straight season. He had 12 rounds at or under par and an adjusted scoring average of 75.27. He had two top-10 and five top-20 finishes this season, highlighted by a fifth-place showing at The Territory Classic at The Territory Golf Club in Duncan, Okla., helping the Eagles to the team win.
“Juan had a very solid season, easily the most consistent on the team,” Lynn said. “Juan is a special kind of student-athlete that was completely consumed academically this year. He did not get to practice and play as much as normal because of his time at the hospital and his schedule for his medical laboratory degree at OC. Juan’s ability to juggle his academics and golf has been extremely impressive.”
Joining Brictson and Norby on the first-team list were player of the year Emilio Gonzalez, Jake Stevenson and Ryan Dixon, all of St. Mary’s, and Parker Holekamp of Texas A&M International.
On the second-team list along with Pallach were Ben Constancio and Hudson Ross of St. Edward’s (Texas), Joaquin Arguelles of Dallas Baptist (Texas) and Luke Palmowski of Rogers State. Santiago Garcia of Texas A&M International was named as the freshman of the year.