Men's Golf Team and Three Bearcat Golfers Earn Academic Honors from GCAA

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's golf team has received the All-Academic Team Award for the 2020-21 season from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). In addition, three Willamette men's golfers have been selected as Srixon/Cleveland Golf NCAA Division III All-America Scholars by the GCAA. The individual Bearcats who earned academic recognition were Aunders Erickson (Grad., Portland, OR/Westview HS/Ohio Wesleyan Univ.), Andrew Kibbee (Jr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS), and Alex Weirth (So., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy).

Qualifying for the All-Academic Team Award required a cumulative team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Bearcats have earned the team honor several times in recent years. Willamette was the only Northwest Conference team to receive the award this year.

"It is another example of the standards we set for our program," Willamette Head Men's Golf Coach Patrick Daugherty commented. "I am really proud that this group of young men represent not only our golf program but also Bearcat athletics and the long history of academic achievement. Our student-athletes are not just well deserving of this recognition, they are the example for DIII athletics."

Each golfer chosen for Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status was a sophomore, junior or senior academically and athletically. They had to participate in 40% of their team's competitive rounds in 2020-21 and have a stroke average under 79.0 in NCAA Division III. Golfers who qualified for the honor also registered a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2. Recipients were required to be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

"This is the first time we have had more than two players receive All-America Scholar honors," Daugherty noted. "This is really a great recognition and highlights how committed these amazing athletes are to their academics. I am really proud of all three of them and their pursuit to make the very most out of their academic careers."

Willamette competed in five golf tournaments this spring, including the NWC Fall Classic, NWC Spring Classic, and NWC Tournament. With points earned at the three NWC meets, the Bearcats won the overall NWC Championship and received the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship. The Bearcats tied for 11th place at the NCAA Championship, which was held at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. Willamette registered a team score of 300 or lower in seven of 12 rounds, including a low round of 285 on the first day of the NWC Spring Classic and two rounds of 297 at the National Tournament.

Srixon/Cleveland Golf NCAA Division III All-America Scholars

Aunders Erickson (Grad.) is working toward an MBA degree at Willamette's Atkinson Graduate School of Management. He transferred from Ohio Wesleyan University prior to the fall semester.

This season, Erickson competed in 10 rounds, including all four rounds at the NCAA Championship, where he scored 305 (76-77-76-76). He tied for 57th in the final standings at the National Tournament.

He placed 10th at the Pacific Invitational on March 13-14. He was 11th at the NWC Spring Classic with a 36-hole score of 148, including a par 72 for his low round of the season. During the year, he posted nine rounds under 80, with five rounds at 76 or lower. He achieved a 77.50 unadjusted stroke average.

Andrew Kibbee (Jr.) is majoring in Economics at Willamette. This season, he was named Third Team All-America and First Team All-West Region by the GCAA for the first time. He was Willamette's top finisher at the NCAA Championship by tying for 15th place in the individual standings at 296 (80-72-70-74). His low round of the tournament was a 1-under 70 on the third day. He was named First Team All-NWC after receiving Second Team All-NWC honors in 2018-19. 

Kibbee has competed at two NCAA Championship events. In the 2019 NCAA Championship, Kibbee placed 88th overall, as the Bearcats took 13th place in the team standings. Kibbee won the individual title at the Pacific Spring Invitational in 2018-19. He took first place at the NWC Fall Classic in 2019-20.

During the 2021 season, Kibbee led WU with a 73.75 unadjusted stroke average, including a career-low round of 67 in the first round of the NWC Spring Classic. He took first place in the Spring Classic with a 36-hole score of 139. During his first year on the team in 2018-19, he helped Willamette win the overall NWC Championship. He contributed to the team gaining its second NWC title in three years this spring. He has accumulated a 74.98 career stroke average.

Alex Weirth (So.) is majoring in Environmental Science. This year, he was named All-West Region for the second year in a row and was chosen First Team All-NWC for the first time. He was selected First Team CoSIDA NCAA Division III Academic All-District VIII by the College Sports Information Directors of America. He tied for 31st at the 2021 NCAA Championship with a score of 300 (75-76-72-77). He attained a 75.08 unadjusted stroke average for the season. He placed third at the NWC Fall Classic and was third at the NWC Tournament.

In two seasons with the Bearcats, Weirth has developed a 73.56 career stroke average. He led Willamette in 2019-20 with a 72.15 unadjusted stroke average, while recording two career-low rounds of 69. His low round of the 2021 season was a 2-under 70 in the first round of the NWC Spring Classic. In 2019-20, Weirth won individual titles at the George Fox University Invitational in the fall and at the Puget Sound Invitational in the spring.

NOTE:  The class year listed with each student-athlete is for the 2020-21 academic year.