WONDER BOYS PLACE TWO ON ALL-GSC MEN'S GOLF TEAMS; JARRED CARLYLE NAMED FOUR-TIME FIRST TEAM ALL-GSC SELECTION

        BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Arkansas Tech seniors Jarred Carlyle (Nashville, Ark.) and B.J. Hawkins (Winnsboro, Texas) continued to add to their accolades on Wednesday as they were named to the 2009 All-Gulf South Conference Men’s Golf Team as selected by the league’s coaches.

Carlyle became just the second four-time First-Team All-GSC honoree in the history of the league and just the fourth Wonder Boy to earn All-Conference honors four consecutive years, while Hawkins was named to the All-GSC Second Team for the third time in four years. The other four-time First-Team All-GSC selection was Troy State’s Ben Bates who was a first-team selection in the early 1980s.

In addition to Carlyle, Tech’s other four-time All-Conference honorees were Bill Bailey (1973-76), Neil Westbrook (1989-92) and David Dyer (1990-93). All three of those Wonder Boys were named four-time All-AIC (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) honorees.

The men’s golf coaches in the league voted for the team and the coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own players.

North Alabama, the 2009 GSC Champion and West Florida led the way with three total players on the squad, headlined by two First-Team honorees. Tech, the 2009 GSC runners-up and Valdosta State each had two selections, while Delta State and Henderson State completed the team with one Second-Team honoree apiece.

In the individual awards given out by the league, Valdosta State senior Brent Witcher repeated as this year’s GSC Player of the Year, while West Florida’s Ryan Black was named the GSC Freshman of the Year. It was the third straight year that an Argonaut was named the league’s Freshman of the Year. The GSC Coach of the Year will be announced later this week.

Carlyle, who won the individual medalist honors at this year’s GSC Championships after shooting a school Division II-era record 209, repeats as a first team honoree after leading the way for Tech with a 73.3 scoring average in 25 rounds of golf and 11 tournaments this season. On the season, Carlyle has had seven Top 10 finishes, including taking home individual medalist honors at his last two tournaments, the Natural State Classic and the GSC Championships. Carlyle has 14 rounds of par or below and has set the school’s Division II-era career scoring average at 73.6 (6,476 strokes/88 rounds).

He is joined on the All-GSC First Team by Witcher, Black, West Florida sophomore Kyle Scott, North Alabama senior Wes Smith and junior Brett Munson.

Hawkins, who was a member of the All-Tournament team after firing an even-par 216 to finish fourth at this year’s GSC Men’s Golf Championships, returns to the second team for the third time in his four year career at Tech. He becomes the school’s eighth three-time All-Conference honoree and the second in the Division II era joining former Wonder Boy Nick Quast (2002, ’04, ’05). Hawkins earns second team honors after shooting a 73.6 average in 25 rounds and 11 tournaments this season. On the season, Hawkins has had eight Top 10 finishes and has had 10 rounds of par of below this season. He is ranked fifth in career scoring average at Tech as he has an average of 74.7 (6,197 strokes/83 rounds).

He is joined on the All-GSC Second Team by Delta State senior Brandon Hartzell, Henderson State junior Ben Cuzen, North Alabama freshman Jake Greer, West Florida sophomore Otto Bonning and Valdosta State senior Cole Willis.

          2009 All-GSC Men's Golf Teams

          -- Tech Athletics --