FRISCO, Texas – After recording six top-five performances and finishing as the top-ranked golfer in the Southland Conference, Southeastern Louisiana University junior
Philipp Westermann was selected as the 2011-12 Southland Conference Men's Golfer of the Year in a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors the conference office announced Monday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference teams.
Westermann, who was named the 2010 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, posted a conference-best 71.97 scoring average in 32 rounds of play for Southeastern. The Lions, who are ranked No. 56 nationally in the latest GolfStat.com poll, are expected to receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Regionals when the field is announced next week.
The German native became the fifth Lion – and third in the last four years – to claim the Southland's top honor joining Grant White (1998), Jacques Chevallier (2000),
Cedric Scotto (2009) and Alvaro Arizabaleta (2010). Westermann finished the regular-season as the lone Southland golfer to finish in the top 100 in the GolfStat rankings, where he was ranked No. 82. He posted eight top-10 finishes in 11 events on the season, increasing his career total to 21 top-10 finishes in 30 career events.
Westermann, who became the first Lion to be named first-team All-Southland Conference in three consecutive seasons, was joined on the 15-member team by teammate
Rhys West, who was a third-team selection.
“I'm really happy for both Philipp and Rhys in being named to the All-Southland Conference golf team,” Southeastern golf coach
Tim Baldwin said. “I'm especially happy for Phil being named Player of the Year. He's had an absolute, stellar career for us since arriving at Southeastern in 2010. He has been a gem of player for us and is looking forward to competing in the NCAA Regionals.
“Rhys had a great year for us this year after coming on strong with a great performance last season at the (2011) NCAA Regionals in Florida. I know he was disappointed in his performance at the (Southland) conference championships, but I know he's ready to compete at the regionals.”
Westermann claimed his fourth career event on March 20 when he earned medalist honors at the Carter Plantation Intercollegiate with a three-stroke victory over Alfred Kerstis of Arkansas-Little Rock. He was named the Southland Conference's Golfer of the Month in March – the fourth monthly honor in his career.
West earned All-Southland Conference honors for the first time after recording a 73.50 scoring average in 32 rounds of play this season. He earned a top-10 finish this season with a sixth-place showing at the Louisiana Classics, where he fired a low round of 68 before equaling his season best at The Woodlands All-American Intercollegiate.
Lamar freshman Luke Jerling was named the conference's freshman of the year, while Cardinal head coach Brian White earned Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors for the third time in his career. Texas State sophomore Juan Diego Plasencia was named the conference's newcomer of the year.
Westermann was joined on the first team by a pair of conference medalists – Lamar senior M.J. Daffue and Sam Houston State senior Scott Kelly. Stephen F. Austin junior Mitchell McLeroy and UT Arlington junior Paul McConnell rounded out the first-team.
The second team was comprised of Ryan Werre of UTSA, Jerling, Sam Houston State senior Garrett Driver, Antonio Costa of Central Arkansas and Xavier Feyaerts of Lamar. The third-team consisted of UCA freshman Pep Angles, West, UT Arlington junior Hunter Brown, Lamar's Kevin Hesbois and Kristjan Einarsson of Nicholls State.
2012 Men's Golf All-Southland Conference Team
First Team
Philipp Westermann, Southeastern La. – Jr., Pinneberg, Germany
M.J. Daffue, Lamar – Sr., Pretoria, South Africa
Mitchell McLeroy, Stephen F. Austin – Jr., Mansfield, Texas
Scott Kelly, Sam Houston State – Sr., Kingwood, Texas
Paul McConnell, UT Arlington – Jr., Garland, Texas
Second Team
Ryan Werre, UTSA – So., Redcliff, Alberta
Luke Jerling, Lamar – Fr., Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Garrett Driver, Sam Houston State – Sr., Humble, Texas
Antonio Costa, Central Arkansas – Sr., Valdivia, Chile
Xavier Feyaerts, Lamar – Sr., Heist-Op-Den-Berg, Belgium
Third Team
Pep Angles, Central Arkansas – Fr., San Andres de Llavaneras, Spain
Rhys West, Southeastern La. – Jr., Johannesburg, South Africa
Hunter Brown, UT Arlington – Jr., Richardson, Texas
Kevin Hesbois, Lamar – Sr., Tildonk, Belgium
Kristjan Einersson, Nicholls State – So., Mosfellsbaer, Iceland
Honorable Mention
Stuart Smallwood, Texas State; Stetson McMillan, Stephen F. Austin; Juan Diego Plasencia, Texas State; Cam Hollek, UT Arlington; Juan Carlos Benitez, Texas State.
Player of the Year: Philipp Westermann, Southeastern Louisiana
Freshman of the Year: Luke Jerling, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Juan Diego Plasencia, Texas State
Coach of the Year: Brian White, Lamar
