May 25, 2012
HAWKEYES ADVANCE TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The University of Iowa men’s golf team used a final round +1 (284) to move up six spots on the final day of competition at the NCAA Athens Regional to advance to the 2012 NCAA Championships. Iowa entered the final round in 11th place, but the solid final round put the Hawkeyes one stroke clear of sixth place New Mexico to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Iowa finished with a 54-hole mark of +14 (866). This season marks the third time in the last four years that the Hawkeyes have competed in the NCAA Championships.
ELITE COMPANY
Iowa is one of only 22 NCAA Division I men’s golf programs to qualify for the NCAA Championships in three of the last four years. Six schools have been to the NCAA Championships in each of the last four seasons, dating back to 2009 (USC, Texas A&M, Florida, Illinois, UCLA and Texas). The list of schools that have played in three of the last four NCAA Championships is below.
? Iowa
? Oklahoma State
? Arizona State
? Washington
? Georgia
? Georgia Tech
? Tennessee
? San Diego
? Alabama
? TCU
? Stanford
? Virginia
? Oregon
? California
? Duke
? Kent State
SENIORS MAKE POSTSEASON PLAY A HABIT
Iowa seniors Chris Brant and Barrett Kelpin were members of head coach Mark Hankins’ first recruiting class at Iowa in 2008. Four years later, they are leaving as one of the most successful classes in school history. Brant and Kelpin have led Iowa to NCAA Regional competition in each of their four years in Black and Gold (2009-12), including three NCAA Championships appearances. The only NCAA competition streak longer than Brant and Kelpin’s in school history dates back to 1954. The Hawkeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships seven-straight seasons from 1954-1960.
HAWKEYES AT NCAA TOURNAMENT
This season marks the 14th appearance for Iowa in the NCAA Championships. Before the current run of three appearances over the last four years, Iowa’s last NCAA Tournament berth was in 1995. Iowa first competed in the NCAA Championships in 1939. They followed in 1946 and 1949 before a run from 1954-1960.
KELPIN AND BRANT AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Barrett Kelpin and Chris Brant have both competed in the NCAA Championships twice. Their first NCAA event came in 2009 at Inverness in Toledo and they also played in the 2011 event at Karsten Creek in Stillwater. Below are their NCAA Tournament results.
Brant
2011 – T20, +4 (220)
2009 – T153, +24 (237)
Kelpin
2011 – T56, +9 (225)
2009 – T72, +10 (223)
KELPIN NEARLY BREAKS STROKE AVERAGE RECORD
Senior Barrett Kelpin’s 72.04 stroke average is the second-lowest mark in school history, trailing Vince India’s mark of 71.08 set last season. Kelpin played 28 rounds in 2,017 strokes for the second-best stroke average in the Hawkeye record books. Iowa’s stroke averages have steadily improved over the past five seasons under head coach Mark Hankins. Thirteen of the top 25 single-season stroke averages in school history have been recorded under Hankins, including the top six marks, and 10 of the top 11.
YOUTH MOVEMENT IN THE LINEUP
Even though Iowa is led by two seniors that have plenty of NCAA experience, the remaining three players are underclassmen playing in their first NCAA Championships. Sophomore Steven Ihm is a junior college transfer in his first season at Iowa. Ian Vandersee is a redshirt freshman and Joseph Winslow is a true freshman.
HAWKEYES, HANKINS GO HOLLYWOOD FOR FIRST TIME
Since arriving at Iowa in the 2007-08 season, head coach Mark Hankins has coached the Hawkeyes in a total of 69 tournaments. This will be the first event in the state of California. The farthest west that Hankins has taken the Hawkeyes for a tournament is Arizona, playing a total of seven events in the state since 2007-08.
IOWA SUCCESS UNDER HANKINS
The Iowa golf team has enjoyed a resurgance on the national stage under head coach Mark Hankins. Below are just a few of Iowa’s accomplishments over the past five seasons.
? Ranked 155th in the country in 2008 when Hankins took over program. Iowa was ranked as high as ninth last season.
? NCAA Championship appearances in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
? NCAA Regional appearances in 2009-12.
? Eight tournament wins from 2008-12. Iowa had nine total wins before Hankins arrived from 1995-2007.
? Six individual medalists from 2009-12. Iowa had six total from 1994 until Hankins’ arrival.
? Two All-Americans, six All-Region selections, six All-Big Ten selections, one Big Ten Player of the Year and Les Bolstad Award winner (lowest stroke average in the Big Ten), four Big Ten Golfers of the Week.
? Ten of the 13 lowest 18-hole team scores in school history.
? Top six 54-hole team scores in school history.
? Fourteen of the lowest 24 individual 18-hole rounds in school history.
? Five of the top 10 individual 54-hole scores in school history.
? Five Academic All-Americans.
? 14 Academic All-Big Ten selections.