IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s golf senior Alex Schaake and sophomore Mac McClear were selected to the Division I PING All-Midwest Region Team. The announcement was made by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
This marks the 13th straight season that a Hawkeye was named to the All-Midwest Region Team and the 10th time in 12 years that Iowa has had multiple student-athletes earn all-region honors. Schaake, who also was recognized by the GCAA in 2019 and 2020, is only the third Hawkeye to earn the honor three times (Steven Ihm and Raymond Knoll).
Schaake recently was recognized as Big Ten Men’s Golf Co-Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Championships Team. He led team in scoring average (71.19) and rounds at or below par (12). Schaake recorded a team-best three top-five finishes, including winning the Hawkeye Invitational in April. The native of Omaha, Nebraska, carded a season-best 204 at the Hawkeye Invitational, to match the third lowest 54-hole score in school history. Schaake posted three of the team’s six lowest 18-hole scores in 2021. He also went 3-1-0 playing at No. 1 in helping Iowa finish runners-up at Big Ten Match Play.
Schaake is the most decorated student-athlete in program history. He is the only Hawkeye to be voted Big Ten Player of the Year twice (2019, 2021), only athlete to earn all-conference postseason honors four times, and one of three Hawkeyes to win the Hawkeye Invitational multiple times.
McClear was the only unanimous selection to the first-team All-Big Ten squad earlier this month. He also earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Championships Team by virtue of winning the Big Ten Championships. McClear is Iowa’s fourth Big Ten Champion in 75 years. McClear was the only Big Ten golfer to finish under par in windy conditions at Crooked Stick Golf Club. He also was the medalist at the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island in March. The native of Hinsdale, Illinois, ranked second on the team in scoring average (71.38) and rounds at or below par (11). He posted a career-best 206 twice, equaling the fifth-lowest 54-hole score in program history (Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island; Hawkeye Invitational). McClear registered four top-20 finishes, including finishing in the top-10 three times. He posted three of the team’s six lowest 18-hole scores in 2021.