McLean County Times

The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced the Cobalt All-America Scholars on Thursday, July 25. Five members of the Illinois Wesleyan University men's golf team were honored, tying for the second-most in NCAA Division III. The recipients include sophomores Juney Bai and Michael Spitzer, juniors Quinn Clifford and Griffin Pohl, and fifth-year Bobby Beaubien.

To qualify for the Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar nomination, athletes must be sophomores, juniors, or seniors academically and athletically in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, or in their last year of eligibility in NJCAA while receiving an Associate's Degree. Additionally, they must participate in at least 50% of their team's competitive rounds with specific stroke averages depending on their division and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2. Recipients must also demonstrate high moral character and good standing at their institution.

In total, 208 NCAA Division III athletes from 81 schools earned Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar honors for the 2023-24 academic year. Trine led with six recipients across all divisions.

Bai earned his first Cobalt All-America Scholar honor after participating in 28 rounds across 11 tournaments with a stroke average of 73.5. He achieved two top-five finishes and eight top-20 placements.

Spitzer received the accolade for the first time as well. He maintained a stroke average of 73.5 over 22 rounds with four top-10 finishes.

Clifford added this honor to his numerous academic awards including College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-America and Academic All-CCIW honors. He competed in 11 tournaments with a stroke average of 73.2 over 28 rounds.

Pohl posted a scoring average of 73.0 over his competitions and tied for third place at the NCAA Division III National Championship.

Beaubien concluded his collegiate career with accolades including PING Third Team All-American and CCIW Men's Golfer of the Year while maintaining a season-best scoring average of 72.8 strokes per round.

Other notable schools with multiple honorees include Emory University and Washington & Lee University among others.

About GCAA:

Established in 1958, GCAA is dedicated to supporting men's collegiate golf coaches through educational opportunities and resources aimed at enhancing performance as coaches and mentors.

About Cobalt Golf:

Cobalt specializes in premium laser rangefinders designed for golfers seeking high-performance gear at competitive prices.

For more information about these organizations visit www.cobalt-golf.com or www.gcaa.org.