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SMU FINISHES 28TH AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP WAC Freshman of the Year Will Dodson posted a final round 72 (E) as the SMU men's golf team saw its 2002-03 season come to an end at the third round of the 2003 NCAA Championship, being played at Karsten Creek Golf Course in Stillwater, Okla. SMU finished the tournament in 28th place with a 953 for the tournament. The Mustangs posted a third round 318 (+30).

Highlighting the play for the Mustangs on day three was the freshman Dodson, who posted the team's best round all week with an even par 72 that included identical scores of 36 on the outward and inner half at Karsten Creek. Dodson posted four birdies on the day, going one under on holes No. 4, No. 8, No. 14, and No. 17. With his 12-over total for the tournament, Dodson finished a team-best T40th on the week.

In his final tournament as a Mustang, senior Stephen Sparolini posted a solid three over-par 75 on the third day, for his best round of the week. Sparolini birdied No. 12 and his final hole as a collegiate golfer, the par 5 18th. On the week, Sparolini was 14 over par and finished in T57th place. Junior Scott Abbott posted an early birdie was unable to keep the momentum going, finishing with a ten over total of 82. Abbott birdied the long par three No. 3 hole, but back-to-back bogeys two holes later proved to be more than Abbott could recover from. The Highland Park, Texas native finished the tournament in T111th place.

NORMAN,Okla. The GolfCoaches Association of America (GCAA) announced the award recipients forDivision I at the GCAA Division I Award Dinner May 30, in Stillwater, Okla.Among the honors announced were the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Outback SteakhouseArnold Palmer Award, the Byron Nelson Award presented by TaylorMade and PINGAll-America teams. Fresno States Nick Watney was named to the first team, while three-time WAC Champion David Inglis of Tulsa earned a second-team nod.

For a complete list of all the honorees Click Here.

PING All-America Team
First Team
Ricky Barnes, Arizona
Dustin Bray, North Carolina
Alejandro Caizares, Arizona State
Bill Haas, Wake Forest
Brock Mackenzie, Washington
HunterMahan, Oklahoma State
Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech
Chris Nallen, Arizona
Brandt Snedeker, Vanderbilt
D.J. Trahan, Clemson
Nick Watney, Fresno State

Second Team
DavidInglis, Tulsa

Third Team
Dan Swanson, UTEP

Honorable Mention
Chris Baryla, UTEP

Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars
Ryan Abbate, SMU
Ryan Morgan, Rice
Isaac Weintraub, San Jose State

PING All-Region Teams
Central
David Inglis, Tulsa
Chris Noel, Tulsa

South Central
Nicholas Loar, SMU

Southwest
Chris Baryla, UTEP
Chad Spencer, Fresno State
Dan Swanson, UTEP
Nick Watney, Fresno State

FRESNO STATE WINS THIRD WAC TITLE With no shortage of drama, Fresno State held off a charging Tulsa squad to claim the team title while the Golden Hurricane's David Inglis needed a three-hole playoff to win medalist honors over the Bulldog's Nick Watney on the final day of action at the 2003 WAC Golf Championship at The Houstonian Country Club in nearby Richmond, Texas.

Fresno State began the championship tournament's final round with a five stroke lead, but Tulsa chipped away before the Bulldogs could claim the 2003 title with a 54-hole total of two-under par 862. Tulsa ended the tournament three shots off the pace (865, +1) while UTEP finished third overall with a four-over par 868. SMU also charged into fourth (880) while Nevada placed fifth (885) and tournament host Rice finished sixth (887).

The battle for the individual championship between Inglis and Watney, the league's highest-ranked players, lived up to pre-tournament expectations. Inglis began the day with a two-shot lead, 137 to 139, but Watney picked up a stroke on the front nine then birdied the first two holes on the back nine to tie up the match through 47 of the 54 holes. The duo then matched strokes for the remaining seven holes to tie for the lead with identical eight-under par 208s.

The tie-breaker for the individual championship was to play The Houstonian's 464-yard, par four, 18th hole until the deadlock is broken. Again, the two twice matched a pair of par scores, but on the third playoff of the same hole Watney hit his drive into a right-side bunker and then took another two shots before reaching the green. Inglis reached the green in two and safely two-putted to win the hole 4-5. Inglis became the WAC's first three-time individual champion and the junior accomplished the feat his first three years in the league.

Third place went to Fresno State's Chad Spencer (211, -5) who tied Watney for the best round of the day with a three-under par 69. UTEP's Dan Swanson shot a 70 to finish fourth in the 50-player field with a composite four-under 212.

2003 WAC HONORS - At the conclusion of the WAC Championship, the WAC honors were handed out. For WAC Coach of the Year, Fresno States Mike Watney earned the honor. Watney led the Bulldogs to their second WAC title in four seasons, while picking up two other top-five finishes this spring. His Bulldogs entered the WAC Championship ranked 19th in the country by Golfstat with a 288.75 team strokes-per-round average. For WAC Freshman of the Year, SMUs Will Dodson picked up the trophy. Dodson led all WAC freshman this season with a 73.90 stroke average. Dodson was the Mustangs top finisher when SMU won the Louisiana Classic in March. Fresno States Nick Watney became the WACs first-time three-time Player of the Year winner, picking it up in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Watney entered the championship as the nations top golfer according to Golfstat with a 69.58. Watney won five tournaments this year, more than any other player in the nation.

WATNEY FINISHES AMONG THE TOP IN THE COUNTRY Fresno State senior Nick Watney is ranked No. 3 in the country by Golfstat with a 69.93 stroke average, the only player below 70. Watney, who finished second in the WAC Championship after a three-hole playoff, has won five tournaments this year, more than any other player in the nation. Watney has been tops in the nation many times this season.

HOGAN SEMIFINALISTS ANNCOUNCED - Bank of America in cooperation with The Friends of Golf (FOG), Colonial Country Club and the Golf Coaches Association of America announced the 11 semifinalists for the 2003 Ben Hogan Award. The Hogan is presented annually to the top mens NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA golfer, taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last 12 months.

Fresno States Nick Watney is among the 11 semifinalists. Watney, who led the WAC with a 69.93 stroke average, is also ranked third in the nation by GolfStat and eighth by GolfWeek. The senior from Dixon, Calif., has five tournament wins this year, including a tournament record, 17-under at the Bite Intercollegiate.

2003 Ben Hogan Semifinalists:
Ricky Barnes, Arizona
Dustin Bray, North Carolina
Bill Haas, Wake Forest
Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State
Ryan Moore, UNLV
Chris Nallen, Arizona
Adam Rubinson, TCU
D.J. Trahan, Clemson
Justin Walters, North Carolina State
Nick Watney, Fresno State
Oliver Wilson, Augusta State