United Athletic Conference

Sam Houston's Chad Sewell has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Golfer of the Week for October 11 through October 19.

 

Sewell, a graduate student from Conroe, Texas, earns his third WAC Men's Golfer of the Week award after running away with medalist honors at the Bentwater Intercollegiate. After opening up the tournament with a 2-under-par 69, he turned on the afterburners in rounds two and three, shooting a pair of 6-under-par 65's to win the tournament by 11 strokes. In addition to the individual title, the Bearkats also won their second team title of the season by 20 strokes over second-place Rice. On the year, Sewell holds a 69.5 stroke overage, nearly two strokes better than anyone else in the WAC.

 

Other nominees: Abilene Christian's Zane Heusel tied for 10th at the Little Rock Invitational, shooting an even-par 216 … NM State's Garrison Smith helped the Aggies win their own Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate while also finishing third individually with a 5-under-par 208 … UT Rio Grande Valley's Leonardo Novella posted his first top-10 finish of the season, tying for ninth place at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate with a 3-over-par 216. 

 

The schedule begins on Thursday with California Baptist and Dixie State meeting up in Stockton, Calif. for the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational. Three more schools will meet in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley participate in the Hoakalei Collegiate Invitational in Ewa Beach, Hawai'i. Chicago State will also be on the beach as the Cougars play in the Gulf Shores Invitational in Gulf Shores, Ala.

 

Sam Houston's Chad Sewell leads the WAC in stroke average at 69.5 per round. NM State's Aidan Thomas is second at 71.4 while GCU's Sam Murphy is third at 71.5. As a team, SHSU is the leader at 285.3 strokes per round. NM State is second at 290.6 while Abilene Christian and Lamar are tied for third at 291.7.

 

The WAC will be in a unique situation this season with two teams having earned automatic qualifications to NCAA Regionals in May. NM State will be the defending WAC champions, having won the 2021 Championship by just one stroke at Boulder Creek GC. Sam Houston also earned an automatic selection after winning the Southland Conference Championship by 10 strokes over Lamar. The Bearkats then placed fourth at the NCAA Stillwater Regional to earn a spot at the NCAA Championship in Scottsdale, where SHSU tied for ninth in the team standings. 

 

On Jan. 14, the WAC announced the addition of five new schools in the upcoming years. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah were all offered and accepted membership invitations. With the addition, the WAC now has six schools in Texas, more than any other conference in the country, and will have three schools in Utah, also a national best. The four Texas schools joined the league on July 1, 2021 and Southern Utah will follow 365 days later, officially joining the WAC on July 1, 2022. More recently, Tarleton announced this fall its intention to revive men's golf, beginning in fall of 2022.

 

For the second straight season, the 2022 WAC Men's Golf Championship will be played at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev. Made up of three nine-hole courses, the course is considered by many to be one of the top municipal golf courses in the country. Scenic vistas, cool creeks, colorful wildflowers, and smooth beach bunkers add to the lure of this unique golf course.