TWO FERRIS STATE GOLFERS NAMED ALL-AMERICA SCHOLARS

Griffin and Flemming Receive All-America Scholar Honors For Second Consecutive Season

Chris Griffin	Mitch Flemming	Pat Simmer

Griffin and Flemming were among 60 individuals from across the nation to be selected Division II All-America Scholars by the GCAA, which 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. To be eligible for All-America Scholar recognition, the nominated student-athlete must have an overall certified minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0, be a junior or senior academically, be of high moral character and in good standing at their respective institution and have a stroke average for the season in which nominated under 80.0 while competing in 70% of the nominating institution’s competitive rounds.

Griffin completed his junior year this season while Flemming was one of five seniors on the team. Both individuals are majoring in Marketing/Professional Golf Management.

Along with the All-America Scholars being selected, the PING All-Region Teams for the 2002-03 season were announced and Ferris State landed two individuals on the 10-member squad. Mitch Flemming along with junior Pat Simmer (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin Derham Hall) represented FSU on the Great Lakes Region team as the Bulldogs were also recognized as the GCAA’s Team Effort Great Lakes Regional Champions by virtue of capturing first-place honors with a three-round 895-stroke score at the NCAA-II Great Lakes/Central Super Regional held May 5-7 in Bolivar, Mo.

Flemming, who attained PING All-Region kudos last season en route to being tabbed a NCAA-II PING All-America Third Team honoree, paced the Bulldogs this campaign with a 75.92 stroke average (2,126 total strokes) in 28 rounds. The FSU team captain recorded seven top 10 individual finishes this season, including a pair of top five performances – second-place tie at the Ferris State Fall Invitational (Sept. 13-14) and a third-place tie at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships (Oct. 5-6). Both a three-time (2000-03) All-GLIAC First-Team and GLIAC All-Academic pick, Flemming garnered FSU Most Valuable Player laurels this campaign and concluded his career with a 75.22 average (6,921 strokes) in 92 total rounds.

Griffin closed out the 2002-03 season with a 76.80 average (1,997 strokes) in 26 rounds and compiled three top-10 individual placings, highlighted by a fourth-place effort (220 score) at the NCAA-II Great Lakes/Central Super Regional. A two-time (2001-02) GLIAC All-Academic selection, Griffin has notched a 76.51 career average (3,749 strokes) in 49 total rounds.

Simmer produced the best season of his career as evidenced by finishing second among the team’s leaders with a 76.39 average (1,757 strokes) in 23 rounds. He turned in a pair of second-place performances at the NCAA-II Great Lakes Region Tournament (Sept. 21-22) and the Findlay (Ohio) Invitational (April 5-6) while sharing top team honors at the 2003 NCAA-II National Championships with a 58th-place tying 303 four-round stroke effort. Simmer has registered a 76.57 career average (3,063 strokes) in 40 total rounds to date.

Last week (May 20-23), Ferris State made its 11th NCAA-II Championship appearance in the program’s history and placed 15th overall with a four-round 1,216-stroke total at the 41st annual NCAA-II Championships in Sunriver, Ore.