REGION HONORS BESTOWED UPON FERRIS STATE’S ALEX BALOG

*2004-05 PING Division II All-Region Teams* PDF

Alex Balog, who was a first-team all-conference honoree this season, has been named to the 2005 PING Division II All-Great Lakes Region Team.

Sophomore Alex Balog (Trenton) of the 2004-05 Ferris State University men’s golf team has been named to the 2005 PING Division II All-Great Lakes Region Team as announced recently by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

Balog joined nine other individuals on the Great Lakes Region squad which also included the 2005 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (GLIAC) Men’s Golf Athlete of the Year in Wayne State’s Ryan Johnson, Findlay’s David Morgan, Dave Patronik of Gannon and Grand Valley State’s Josh Orler. Northern Kentucky’s head coach Darryl Landrum was honored as the Eaton/Golf Pride Regional Coach of the Year for the Great Lakes Region.

The PING All-Region teams, which consist of 10 regions across the nation, are selected based on season-long play and consist of a minimum of 10 student-athletes with any player ranked in the top 50 nationally being automatically named to his respective all-region squad. Members of the the PING All-Region team are eligible for PING All-America honors.

A first-team All-GLIAC selection this season, Balog registered a team-leading and career-best 74.46 stroke average (1,936 total strokes) for 26 rounds. He finished among the top 10 individuals in five tournaments this campaign and had a trio of top five performances. Balog’s best outing was a second-place 223 three-round score at the GLIAC Championships (Oct. 9-10) in Coldwater, Mich. He also paced the Bulldogs at the Ferris State Invitational (Sept. 17) by claiming third-place honors with a two-round 144-stroke total. In his final action this season, Balog shot a 235 score for three rounds to tie for 28th place at the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Super Regional (May 2-4) in St. Joseph, Mo.

Balog, who was Ferris’ top individual performer in seven tournaments this season, is averaging a career 76.41 strokes per round (3,235 total strokes) in 43 rounds of play. He has accumulated 12 top 20 placings during his career, including six top five efforts.

Balog helped Ferris State capture its 18th GLIAC Championship title this past fall and its first since 2001. The Bulldogs were automatic qualifiers for the NCAA-II Great Lakes Super Regional and concluded their season with a fourth-place tying performance at the postseason tourney. Prior to Balog’s selection, the last Ferris State men’s golf representatives to receive all-region accolades were Mitch Flemming and Pat Simmer in the 2002-03 campaign. Flemming also attained all-region kudos the previous season.

The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional association of men’s golf coaches and is based in Norman, Okla. Established in 1958, the GCAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, promoting, and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes who participate in collegiate golf at all levels. Through its established events and programs, the GCAA maintains a goal of increasing awareness and the status of men's collegiate golf.