CHICAGO, Ill. – After winning their first ever Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) championship and playing at the NAIA National Championships for the first time in over 30 years, the Olivet Nazarene University men’s golf team had four Tigers earn all-conference recognition as the CCAC announced its postseason awards Wednesday afternoon.
Lorenzo Mariotti was named the CCAC Men’s Golfer of the Year and was placed on the all-CCAC first team, alongside Jack Busch. Jordan Evans was named to the all-CCAC second team while head coach Brent Wright was tabbed as the league’s Coach of the Year. It was the first time any of these four Tigers have earned all-conference recognition from the CCAC.
Mariotti was recognized as the CCAC’s top golfer after finishing in the top five in four different events en route to his 75.8 average over 21 total rounds so far this season. Mariotti, who was the CCAC Golfer of the Week three times during the season, garnered all-tournament recognition at both The Rail Tournament and the Spring Tiger Invite. The sophomore from Italy placed third in the latter event as well as one other time. He also tied for fifth place at the CCAC Championships.
Busch, a junior from Naperville, Ill., has the second-best scoring average on the team, a 76.67 over 21 rounds. He collected two all-tournament finishes, placing fourth at the Harbor Shores Invitational before firing consecutive 2-under 70’s in the second and third rounds to win individual medalist honors at the CCAC Championships. Busch came in at or under par in a team-best six rounds this season.
Evans earned an all-CCAC second-team selection after playing his best golf down the stretch. The senior from Sarasota, Fla., earned two top-10 finishes over five tournaments in the spring split, highlighted by an all-tournament finish at the CCAC Championships where he fired a 1-under 71 in the final round to net a tie for third place. He is currently holding the third-best scoring average on the team with a 77.5 over 16 rounds thus far.
Wright was named the CCAC’s Men’s Golf Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to the 72nd Annual NAIA National Championships, breaking a 32-year national qualifying draught for ONU. This came off the heels of ONU winning their first-ever CCAC title during the conference championships at Cinder Ridge.
These four Tigers will lead the ONU men’s golf team into the NAIA Championships at the Dalton Golf and Country Club May 21-24.
–ONU—
*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu
