May 17, 2010

Bay City, Mich. - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2010 Men's Golf awards on Monday (May 17), with Grand Valley State having three golfers honored by the league offices. GVSU put a golfer on each the All-GLIAC First and Second teams, while Chase Olsen was tabbed as the 2010 GLIAC Freshman of the Year, the first men's golfer in school history to earn rookie of the year honors.

As compiled and released by the GLIAC offices, the All-GLIAC Men's Golf selections are based upon a player's stroke average in his 15 best rounds in league play, including the three rounds of the GLIAC Tournament. 18 players were honored on the three teams, with six players on each the first and second teams, as well as six members given honorable mention status.

Olsen recorded a stroke average of 73.67 to not only win the GLIAC Freshman of the Year award, but also was one of just two freshmen named to the all-conference teams. He earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention status for his strong rookie campaign. Olsen's highest finish came at the GLIAC Championship, when he placed sixth with a score of 219 (+6), as one of three Lakers in the top six performers at the tournament. At the Al Watrous Memorial Tournament last September, Olsen finished seventh (212, -4) and also brought home a seventh-place finish at the Northern Kentucky University Spring Classic in March with a score of 148 (+4).

GVSU senior Matt Malloure used a stroke average of 72.53, as he was named to the All-GLIAC First Team. In leading the Lakers to their second straight GLIAC Championship, Malloure finished in a tie for second place with a total score of 216 (+3). He placed fourth (208, -8) at the Al Watrous Memorial Invitational and recorded a ninth-place finish (155, +11) at the Findlay Spring Invitational in mid-April. In the two regional tournaments in early April, Malloure finished in a tie for 17th (148, +4) at the Great Lakes Regional #3 and tied for 18th place (147, +3) at The Jewell. Malloure was named to the All-GLIAC First Team in 2007-08 and was an All-GLIAC Second Team choice in 2008-09, as well as being named the tournament medalist at the GLIAC Championship that year.

Earning All-GLIAC Second Team honors was sophomore Mike Basinski with a stroke average of 73.40. Basinski tied with Malloure for second place at the GLIAC Championship last October with a score of 216 (+3) for his best finish of the year. At the Motor City Invitational one week later, Basinski shot a 221 (+8) to finish in a tie for sixth place. He also placed eighth at the Al Watrous Memorial Invitational in the team's first tournament of the year, using a score of 213 (-3) for his top-10 finish.

Ferris State's Eric Lilleboe was named the 2010 GLIAC Men's Athlete of the Year, while Wayne State's Mike Horn was tabbed as the GLIAC Coach of the Year.