Post by The Cats on Jul 18, 2023 18:11:38 GMT -5
Western Carolina men's golf and head coach Tim Eckberg have added five newcomers for the 2023-24 season including four true freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
Western Carolina Men's Golf – 2023-24 Incoming Class:
Michael Bevins – Freshman
Fort Myers, Fla. (Bishop Verot HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Is a four-time Florida State championship qualifier … Selected to the News-Press 2022 All-Area Boys Golf Team in December 2022 … a two-time runner-up at the Patty Berg Junior Championship held in Fort Myers, Fla., on the PGA South Florida Section for junior golf … His 2022 runner-up finish was the best of any local golfer in the Fort Myers area with a three-round, 5-over par 221 including a 1-under par 71 over the final 18 holes to climb from seventh into second … Finished third at the inaugural Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association (SWFJGA) Tournament in 2021 … Tied for fourth in helping Bishop Verot High win the Class 1A regional in 2021.
Personal: Is the son of Amanda and Matt Bevins.
Jace Butcher – Freshman
Kennesaw, Ga. (Mount Paran Christian)
Prior to Western Carolina: Named to the Class AA Georgia High School Coaches Association (GHSGCA) All-State team for boys golf in 2023 … Posed a runner-up finish at the 2023 2-A Georgia State Championship … Named 2023 All-Cobb County … Finished third in the 2021-22 Georgia Boys High School 1-A Private with consecutive rounds of 1-under par 71 (142) … Won medalist honors at the Cobb County Invitational in the spring of 2022 … Won the 37th Annual Mid Pines Junior Amateur in Sept. 2020 … Ranked inside the top 125 Nationally for the class of 2023 (JGS).
Andrew Korytoski – Freshman
Cataula, Ga. (Harris County HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Received the Boys 16-18 Player of the Year Award … Won the 2022 AJGA Matt NeSmith Junior Championship and the 2022 Southeastern Junior Championship … Named the 2022 Southeast Junior Tour Player of the Year … Ranked inside the top 200 Nationally for the class of 2023 (JGS).
Personal: Is the son of Georgia PGA member Richard "Doright" Korytoski.
Ivan Ninkovic – Sophomore
Pula, Croatia – (Lindsey Wilson College / Ekonomska Skola Pula)
Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Linsey Wilson College during the summer of 2023 … At Lindsey Wilson: Earned 2023 Ping NAIA First Team All-America honors after collecting both 2023 Mid-South Conference Player and Freshman of the Year accolades … Also named Ping Midwest All-Region in 2022-23 … Finished the season ranked 39th in the Golfstat rankings … Won two events – the Player Club Invitational and the Mid-South Spring Tournament – with three runner-up finishes in the 2022-23 season … In 10 regular-season events at Lindsey Wilson, boasted an adjusted scoring average of 71.42 … Shot 21 of his 29 rounds at par or better with 10 carded in the 60's … Carded the second-most birdies in the NAIA with 109 … Finished fourth at the Croatian International Amateur Championship in June 2023 with a four-round score of 286 (74-72-67-73).
Dalton Payne – Freshman
Estero, Fla. (Bishop Verot HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Recorded two first-place finishes and one third-place showing as a junior golfer among his 10 career Top 10 finishes … Selected to the News-Press Boys Golf All-Area team … Finished ninth at the AJGA Beaver Creek Championship and was 15th at the AJGA Shreveport Championship … In 2021, tied for second at the 1A-2 regional held at Stoneybrook Golf Club in Estero as a junior, helping Bishop Verot HS win the Class 1A regional … Was a finalist in 2021 for the AJGA-USGA Leadership Links, registering more than 60 volunteer hours with local community service efforts and raised money for the Payne Leadership Links to host the first-ever Stoneybrook Junior Golf Classic … Won a couple of Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association (SWFJGA) events as a youth.
Western Carolina Men's Golf – 2023-24 Incoming Class:
Michael Bevins – Freshman
Fort Myers, Fla. (Bishop Verot HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Is a four-time Florida State championship qualifier … Selected to the News-Press 2022 All-Area Boys Golf Team in December 2022 … a two-time runner-up at the Patty Berg Junior Championship held in Fort Myers, Fla., on the PGA South Florida Section for junior golf … His 2022 runner-up finish was the best of any local golfer in the Fort Myers area with a three-round, 5-over par 221 including a 1-under par 71 over the final 18 holes to climb from seventh into second … Finished third at the inaugural Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association (SWFJGA) Tournament in 2021 … Tied for fourth in helping Bishop Verot High win the Class 1A regional in 2021.
Personal: Is the son of Amanda and Matt Bevins.
Jace Butcher – Freshman
Kennesaw, Ga. (Mount Paran Christian)
Prior to Western Carolina: Named to the Class AA Georgia High School Coaches Association (GHSGCA) All-State team for boys golf in 2023 … Posed a runner-up finish at the 2023 2-A Georgia State Championship … Named 2023 All-Cobb County … Finished third in the 2021-22 Georgia Boys High School 1-A Private with consecutive rounds of 1-under par 71 (142) … Won medalist honors at the Cobb County Invitational in the spring of 2022 … Won the 37th Annual Mid Pines Junior Amateur in Sept. 2020 … Ranked inside the top 125 Nationally for the class of 2023 (JGS).
Andrew Korytoski – Freshman
Cataula, Ga. (Harris County HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Received the Boys 16-18 Player of the Year Award … Won the 2022 AJGA Matt NeSmith Junior Championship and the 2022 Southeastern Junior Championship … Named the 2022 Southeast Junior Tour Player of the Year … Ranked inside the top 200 Nationally for the class of 2023 (JGS).
Personal: Is the son of Georgia PGA member Richard "Doright" Korytoski.
Ivan Ninkovic – Sophomore
Pula, Croatia – (Lindsey Wilson College / Ekonomska Skola Pula)
Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Linsey Wilson College during the summer of 2023 … At Lindsey Wilson: Earned 2023 Ping NAIA First Team All-America honors after collecting both 2023 Mid-South Conference Player and Freshman of the Year accolades … Also named Ping Midwest All-Region in 2022-23 … Finished the season ranked 39th in the Golfstat rankings … Won two events – the Player Club Invitational and the Mid-South Spring Tournament – with three runner-up finishes in the 2022-23 season … In 10 regular-season events at Lindsey Wilson, boasted an adjusted scoring average of 71.42 … Shot 21 of his 29 rounds at par or better with 10 carded in the 60's … Carded the second-most birdies in the NAIA with 109 … Finished fourth at the Croatian International Amateur Championship in June 2023 with a four-round score of 286 (74-72-67-73).
Dalton Payne – Freshman
Estero, Fla. (Bishop Verot HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Recorded two first-place finishes and one third-place showing as a junior golfer among his 10 career Top 10 finishes … Selected to the News-Press Boys Golf All-Area team … Finished ninth at the AJGA Beaver Creek Championship and was 15th at the AJGA Shreveport Championship … In 2021, tied for second at the 1A-2 regional held at Stoneybrook Golf Club in Estero as a junior, helping Bishop Verot HS win the Class 1A regional … Was a finalist in 2021 for the AJGA-USGA Leadership Links, registering more than 60 volunteer hours with local community service efforts and raised money for the Payne Leadership Links to host the first-ever Stoneybrook Junior Golf Classic … Won a couple of Southwest Florida Junior Golf Association (SWFJGA) events as a youth.