OCU men earn all region honors, Blaser is finalist for Willliams award
Peri’Don Castille, Rupert Kaminski, Garrison Mendoza, David Meyers and Gaston Romero of the top-ranked Stars became all-region selections. Mendoza, a senior from Clinton, Okla., took his fourth all-region nod.
Kaminski, a junior from Johannesburg, South Africa, reeled in finalist honors for the NAIA Jack Nicklaus player of the year and all-Sooner Athletic Conference for the third time. Kaminski owns two wins with a top-five scoring average (70.86) this season. He became a three-time all-region choice.
Mendoza and Meyers became semifinalists for the Nicklaus award and all-conference performers. Mendoza, a senior from Clinton, Okla., tied with Kaminski as runner-up in the SAC Championships at one shot off the pace. Mendoza has produced in a 72.93 stroke average in 2017-18, his fifth season with OCU. Mendoza will play in the NAIA Championships for the fourth time.
Meyers, a sophomore from Johannesburg, South Africa, nabbed his second win of the season in the Battle at the Primm in Primm, Nev. On March 19-20, Meyers matched OCU’s 54-hole tournament record, posting a 67-63-65–195. Meyers has a 71.75 scoring average. He racked up all-region acclaim for the second year in a row.
Castille has six top-10 finishes this season. Castille, a sophomore from Dallas, has supplied OCU with 73.92 shots per round. Romero, a freshman from Cordoba, Argentina, has a 75.32 scoring average with his finest finish a tie for seventh place in the Dave Falconer Classic on March 12-13.
OCU earned its fourth consecutive and 23rd overall Sooner Athletic Conference title in the SAC Championships on April 23-24 at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City beat two top 10-ranked teams by 20 shots. The Stars took their sixth tournament victory in 10 events this season.
The Stars are on pace to set the single-season team record for scoring average with their 286.86. OCU produced round, 36-hole and 54-hole tournament-record scores in the Battle at the Primm with a 273-263-275–811.
Oklahoma City owns national championships won in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016.
All-NAIA Central Region
Andre Becerra, Bellevue
Peri’Don Castille, Oklahoma City
Rupert Kaminski, Oklahoma City
Declan Kenny, Texas Wesleyan
Rowan Lester, Texas Wesleyan
Leo Mathard, Texas Wesleyan
Garrison Mendoza, Oklahoma City
David Meyers, Oklahoma City
Sentanio Minnie, Wayland Baptist
Victor Miron, Texas Wesleyan
Gaston Romero, Oklahoma City
Michael Valk, Wayland Baptist
Andrew Williamson, Wayland Baptist
Futa Yamagushi, Texas Wesleyan
Paul Zwanzig, Wayland Baptist
Blaser of OCU is finalist for Williams award
NORMAN, Okla. – Kyle Blaser of No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City University made the finalist list for the Dave Williams NAIA coach of the year honor as given by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Blaser has garnered the award eight times, the latest time coming in 2015-16. In 2016-17, Blaser collected NAIA Central Region coach of the year. The 2017-18 Williams coach of the year and regional coach of the year honors will be announced June 6.
Blaser has led Oklahoma City to six tournament victories this season. The top-ranked team in the GCAA coaches poll, the Stars were also runners-up three times and placed no worse than third in 10 events. Blaser was previously named Sooner Athletic Conference coach of the year after leading the Stars to their fourth consecutive league crown. The Stars look to set the single-season team record for stroke average with their 286.86 entering the NAIA Championships.
Blaser has been the NAIA national coach of the year nine times, the most ever by anyone. OCU has also won 113 tournament titles and 20 Sooner Athletic Conference championships under Blaser in his 22nd season as head coach. He is a Golf Coaches Association of America and NAIA Hall of Fame member.
In his time at OCU, Blaser has coached five NAIA individual champions and national players of the year, two NAIA individual runners-up, 75 all-Americans, five four-time all-Americans, two Phil Mickelson award winners as NAIA freshman of the year, 25 NAIA scholar-athlete award winners, eight CoSIDA academic all-Americans, seven all-Nicklaus selections, six NAIA Region VI champions and players of the year, 13 conference individual champions and 13 SAC players of the year.
Blaser has twice led the U.S. boys team in the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup. Several former Stars have turned professional and compete in tours around the world. OCU alum Tyrone Van Aswegen has been on the PGA TOUR since 2013, while Jacques Blaauw made the Web.com Tour in 2017.
OCU has won national championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016.
2017-18 Dave Williams Award Finalists
Kyle Blaser, Oklahoma City
Bobby Cornett, Texas Wesleyan
Tom Harp, Wayland Baptist
Brandon Miller, Keiser
Ben Rickett, Dalton State