Small South Carolina College Emerging as NCAA Golf Powerhouse

NEWBERRY, S.C., May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a state that many describe as a golfer's paradise, a small college in the historic town of Newberry, S.C. is attracting attention as a strong contender in the NCAA Division II Men's Golf National Championship taking place this week at The Shoals in Florence, Ala.

Newberry College, with enrollment of about 1,000 students, has been selected for the second time in program history to participate in the Men's Golf Championship, and is the first college in the history of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) to qualify for the NCAA National Tournament for a second time.

The team, which placed No. 14 in the nation on the GolfStat.com head-to-head rankings, is one of only 20 teams selected to participate in the national championship.

This past season, the men's golf team won first place in several tournaments, including the Rutgers Invitational, the Will Wilson Southeast Regional Preview, the 2011 Food Lion SAC Championship, and the Honda of Columbia Fall Classic, which took place at the team's home course, the Mid Carolina Club in Prosperity, S.C.

The following are the players competing in the tournament:

• Ben Lown recently graduated cum laude with a degree in business administration. Originally from North Augusta, S.C., Lown played in the 2008 nationals and was named the SAC Freshman of the Year.
• Matthew Killen is a junior hailing all the way from Yorkshire, England, majoring in physical education.
• Daniel Stanley is a senior from Inman, S.C. majoring in physical education. Lown also played in the 2008 nationals as a freshman.
• Matthew Campbell, from Rome, N.Y., was named the 2011 SAC Men's Golfer of the Year. A business administration major, Campbell followed in Lown's footsteps and was named the 2009 SAC Freshman of the Year.
• Chandler Gruenmeier continued the Freshman of the Year tradition in 2010. Currently a sophomore, Gruenmeier is a business administration major from Jacksonville, Fla.

Brian McCants, currently in his sixth season as the men's golf team head coach, has been named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year for four consecutive seasons. He has led the team to 27 top-five placements, seven tournament championships and three conference titles in the last four seasons.

The Newberry College women's golf team has also made recent news, having completed the NCAA South Regional tournament in seventh place earlier this month.

The golf program is one of the earliest established sports at the College, and this year marks the fifth time the team has qualified for the NCAA regional tournament. Newberry was also named the SAC Men's Golf Champion in 2008, 2009 and 2011. The College has been a member of the SAC since 1997.

For more updates on the golf team, follow @NewberrySports on Twitter or visit the Newberry Athletics website.

About Newberry College

A private, residential, co-educational, college with a diverse student population, Newberry College offers baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 31 minors, and 27 areas of concentration. Founded in 1856 by the Lutheran Church, the college is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association of Schools of Music. The college has a radio and television station, and offers 15 NCAA Division II sports. In the recent 2011 ranking of the Best Colleges in U.S. News & World Report, Newberry College placed in the top tier of regional colleges in the South. For more information, visit www.newberry.edu.

SOURCE Newberry College