Christiansen, Kieschnick take All-SLC honors
5/3/2018 2:37:00 PM | Men's Golf
A historic season for Sam Houston golf continued on Thursday with the announcement of the Southland Conference awards. The Bearkats placed three golfers on the first team, as well as earning a pair of individual awards.
Austen Christiansen was named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year while Brandt Kieschnick earned the Coach of the Year honors. On the first team was Jake McCrory, William Holcomb and Noah Steele.
“This is a great day for our program and testament to the work and mindset our guys have had all year,” Kieschnick said. “I am very proud to coach them and they have done all the things well every day that lead to being honored by the Southland Conference and their peers.”
The Bearkats finished the year under par as a team for the first time in school history. It's also the first time the Kats have placed three golfers on the league's first team list and the first time a Southland squad has done it since Southeastern Louisiana in 2010.
“These honors are historic for our program and the discipline and talent of our team helped to solidify our culture of working hard, excelling, and staying humble,” Kieschnick said. “These guys make me look good and I am just honored to be able to work alongside them every day.”
The Coach of the Year honor is the second for Kieschnick, winning it previously in 2014. He joins Ronnie Choate (1990, 1994) as the only two-time winner in program history.
Chrsitiansen was a big addition to the 2017-18 squad, ranking fourth on the team with a 73.48 scoring average. He closed the year strong with top-10 finishes in his last three events, including finishing 5th at the Southland Championship. In addition to the Newcomer of the Year selection, Christiansen was also a second-team selection. He is the third golfer in the last six years to earn Newcomer of the Year and the fourth in program history.
“Austen came right into lineup after transferring in and made an immediate impact,” Kieschnick said. “He's our athlete that adjusted well throughout the year and matured. He's very coachable and got better every week this year.”
Holcomb, a sophomore from Crockett, led the team in stroke average this season with a 71.64 average, more than three shots better than last season. He recorded four top-10 finishes, including a runner up at the Bearkat Invitational at Walden. His low round of the year was a 66.
“Will was very consistent this year and really developed from his Freshman year,” Kieschnick said. “He led our team in scoring average and had several chances to win. He's a grinder and a hard worker that is hungry to excel.”
McCrory, a senior from Deer Park, was second on the team in scoring average with a 71.82 average. He recorded five top-10 finishes, including a win at Bearkat Invitational at Walden. His low round of the year was a 66, a career best, and he did it twice.
“Jake had a great year and got his 2nd career win this year,” Kieschnick said. “He was our senior leader and led our team well. He used his knowledge and experience to play at a high level and, also, mentor our other players.”
Steele, a sophomore from Kingston Ontario, finished the regular season third on the team with a 72.12 average. He had a pair of top-10 finishes including a fifth place showing at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational in Hawaii. In this tournament he shot a career best 64, which was also the low round of the season for the team.
“Noah came in this year from a great summer and continued his solid play,” Kieschnick said. “He had a chance to win Hawaii and his consistency day-in and day-out is his biggest strength.”
The Bearkats will compete in the NCAA Regional in Norman, Okla., with the first round beginning May 14.
