NEWBERRY, S.C. – Winning a national championship is feat that every athletic team aspires to achieve, but the Newberry College men's golf team just won a different "national championship" as the Golf Coaches Association of America just released their Outstanding Team Academic Award, and the Wolves earned the highest GPA among all divisions as they posted a 3.81.
"Newberry College has become an academic achievement leader in the prestigious South Atlantic Conference and Coach Vroon and his young men have now become leaders nationally," said Dr. Maurice Scherrens, president of Newberry College. "We are all so proud of the men's golf team and it starts with the head coach."
The Wolves were able to turn in a higher GPA than Harvard University's golf program, that posted the highest GPA among all Division I teams with a 3.80 while also finishing ahead of Carleton College of Division III who turned in a 3.71. This is the second time that Newberry has turned in the top GPA in the country as they also boasted the honor in 2019.
"The number one priority of the men's golf program is academic excellence," said director of golf and head men's golf coach Howard Vroon. "We put our whole heart into our schoolwork. We coach every player on strategies to better their academic experience and the whole team has bought into these strategies and are reaping the rewards. We aim to be academic national champions every year."
The men's golf team boasted seven perfect 4.0's for this past spring semester with three student-athletes maintaining a cumulative 4.0 GPA as well, led by senior Tom Bueschges (Nettetal, Germany). Joining him with cumulative 4.0's were freshmen Benny Fischer (Regensburg, Germany) and Tom Ratcliffe (Lancashire, England).
Junior Frederic Ruess (Hamberg, Germany), junior Leo Hernandez (Bluffton, S.C.), senior Corey Chrzanowski (Suwanee, Ga.) and freshman Carlos Camaros Ruiz were the other four student-athletes that were able to turn in a 4.0 for the spring semester.
"I'm so incredibly proud of our men's golf student-athletes and their commitment to both their athletic and academic endeavors," added director of athletics Sean Johnson. "Our Newberry College men's golf program has achieved something truly special."
