April 22, 2008

TEXARKANA, Ark. - UAB junior Zach Sucher was named the C-USA Golfer of the Year, Grant Robbins of Memphis was named the Coach of the Year, SMU's Kelly Kraft was selected the Freshman of the Year and UCF junior David Johnson was voted the Newcomer of the Year, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.

Sucher also earned medalist honors at the 2008 C-USA Championship, with a nine-under-par 207 for the three-round tournament. The junior is a two-time Conference USA Golfer of the Week selection this Spring and tied teammate Brad Smith for the low round of the championship with a 66. Sucher is joined on All-Conference USA First Team by Smith, a pair of UCF golfers, juniors Greg Forest and David Johnson, Memphis senior Ian Rochester and Houston senior Jordan Irwin, who earned a first-team nod for the second straight year.

Senior Robbie Greenwell of Memphis and Tulsa junior Nicolas Geyger of Tulsa are joined on the All-Conference USA Second Team by a pair of SMU Mustangs, Kraft and sophomore Ben Tewes.

Kraft was also selected as the 2008 C-USA Freshman of the Year. Kraft tied for 14th place at the C-USA Championship and was the only rookie to earn an all-conference nod. Earlier in the spring, Kraft earned medalist honors at the 23rd Annual Louisiana Classics and posted two runner-up finishes.

Joining Kraft on the All-Freshman Team were Herbert Day of UTEP, Warren Straub of East Carolina and Michael Whitehead of Rice. Whitehead had a memorable final round at the C-USA Championship with an ace at No. 11 and an eagle on No. 18 to finish at even par on the day.

UCF's Johnson was also the recipient of the 2008 C-USA Newcomer of the Year Award. Johnson transferred to UCF from Brevard Community College, where he starred for two seasons and participated in the 2007 U.S. Amateur. He registered five Top 10 finishes in his first season with the No. 19 Knights.

Robbins' Tigers got off to an outstanding start at the C-USA Championship, posting the lowest team score of 277 in the first round. Three Memphis golfers finished among the Top 15 and he coached two all-conference selections. Robbins also led his team to three Top 5 finishes and seven Top 10 finishes in 2007-08. In his fifth season as head coach at his alma mater, Robbins was also named the 2001 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year while at the helm of UNC-Wilmington.

Golfer of the Year
Zach Sucher, UAB

Freshman of the Year
Kelly Kraft, SMU

Newcomer of the Year
David Johnson, UCF

Coach of the Year
Grant Robbins, Memphis

All-Conference First Team
Greg Forest, UCF
Jordan Irwin, Houston
David Johnson, UCF
Ian Rochester, Memphis
Brad Smith, UAB
Zach Sucher, UAB

All-Conference Second Team
Robbie Greenwell, Memphis
Nicolas Geyger, Tulsa
Kelly Kraft, SMU
Ben Tewes, SMU

All-Freshman Team
Herbert Day, UTEP
Kelly Kraft, SMU
Warren Straub, East Carolina
Michael Whitehead, Rice