Malone's Justin Lowe 2010 NAIA Player of Year
Story courtesy of Malone Sports Information
CANTON, Ohio -- After putting together a truly outstanding junior campaign in 2009-2010, Malone University (Ohio) men’s golfer Justin Lower has received the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award from the Golf Coaches Association of America as the NAIA’s Player of the Year. Lower joined Eugene Wong from the University of Oregon (NCAA Division I), Brett Munson from the University of North Alabama (NCAA Division II), Tain Lee from Claremont McKenna (Calif.) College (NCAA Division III), and Abraham Ancer from Odessa (Texas) College (NJCAA) as the five Jack Nicklaus Collegiate Players of the Year.
Lower wrapped up 2010 by helping Malone place third at the NAIA National Championships and is the first Pioneer to garner the prestigious award which golf legend Jack Nicklaus helped to inspire and create in 1988. Lower captured individual medalist honors at NAIA Nationals after shooting an incredible four-under-par score of 280 over the four days of competition, winning the title by six strokes. With the victory, Lower joined current Pioneer head coach Ken Hyland as the only individual men’s golf national champions in Malone history.
A 2010 NAIA and GCAA First-Team All-American, Lower shattered the Pioneer school record for lowest individual round after shooting a six-under-par 64 on the second day of Muskingum University’s Spring Invitational in late March. In all, he claimed eight tournament titles throughout the year and became the first Malone golfer to win an NCAA Division I event after securing individual medalist honors at Cleveland State University’s Telich/Sunlife Invitational in late September. Lower then repeated the feat in October, claiming the program’s second-ever Division I tournament victory after carding an even-par 142 at the University of Dayton’s Flyer Invitational.
Prior to competing in the NAIA National Championships, Lower learned that he was selected to represent the United States at the World University Golf Championships that are to take place June 7-11 at the Antequera Golf Club in Malaga, Spain. Lower will be joined on the six-man USA National Team by NJCAA golfers Kurt Slattery of Indian Hills (IA) Community College, Spencer Baldwin of Brevard (FL) Community College and Zach Primavera of Central Alabama Community College along with fellow NAIA representatives Dusty Drenth of St. Ambrose (IA) University and Austin Conroy of Indiana Wesleyan University. The squad will be led by Central Alabama Head Golf Coach Dave Jennings and Saint Ambrose Head Golf Coach Jeff Griebel.
A women’s national team, comprised of six NCAA Division I golfers, will also compete at the event. The World University Golf Championships are held every two years and are sponsored by the International University Sports Federation. In the 2008 event held in South Africa, Team USA won the women’s gold medal among 13 teams while the men placed fifth out of a 14-country field.
For more information on the GCAA or the Jack Nicklaus Award, please visit http://gcaa.collegiategolf.com