Four Tigers Earn 2015 PING All-America Honors

Springfield, Ohio – Wittenberg University golfers John Chaney (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Gilmour Academy), Alex Andrews (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy), Sam Stilwell (Dominion, Va./Sterling) and Sam Geise (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) have capped a record-breaking 2014-15 season with All-America honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). 

Wittenberg placed more student-athletes on the NCAA Division III PING All-America list than any other team following a 2014-15 season that included seven regular season tournament titles, a sixth consecutive North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship and a program-best third-place finish at the NCAA Division III Tournament. Chaney and Andrews each earned second-team All-America awards, while Stilwell and Geise were each selected honorable mention. 

The previous program record of three All-Americans in one season was established in 1989 and equaled a year ago. Chaney, Andrews, Stilwell and Geise were among an NCAA Division III-best five Tigers to earn first-team all-region honors, joined by senior teammate Jared Wissinger (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson). Andrews also was a second-team All-American in 2013 and an honorable mention selection a year ago, Chaney previously claimed third-team All-America in 2014, and the national awards were a collegiate first for both Stilwell and Geise. 

"It is a great testament to the hard work and dedication these young men have put into our program for them to be recognized as All-Americans," said Head Coach Jeff Roope, who earned Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors for both the men and women in the 2014-15 season. "Last year with three honorees was amazing, but for us to have four recognized this year is unthinkable. I am proud of the bar these young men have set for future Tigers to strive to reach." 

After finishing seventh in the NCAA Division III Tournament, Chaney topped the team and ranked among the top 20 in NCAA Division III in scoring average at 73.36. Chaney won two tournaments and recorded seven top-five finishes in 12 tournaments in the 2014-15 season, and he earned first-team All-NCAC honors each of the last two years. He capped his conference career in style with the 2015 Bob Nye Award after taking first place in the NCAC Championship Series. 

Andrews was named the winner of the Dick Gordin Award as the Player of the Year for the second time in his career after finishing second in the NCAC Championship Series. He ranked second on the Tigers and in the top 20 nationally with a 73.63 stroke average while winning two tournaments and recording five top-five finishes during the 2014-15 season. 

A member of the NCAC's 30th Anniversary All-Decade team, Andrews earned All-Great Lakes Region honors three times in his career and first-team All-NCAC honors all four years of his collegiate career. He also won the NCAC's Bob Nye Award as the Championship Series medalist in 2013. 

Stilwell picked up his first all-region award in 2015 after finishing the regular season third on the team with a 73.78 stroke average. He earned first-team All-NCAC recognition after finishing third in the league's Championship Series, and he posted seven top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments during the 2014-15 season. 

Geise earned his first all-region and All-America awards after posting his best collegiate stroke average at 74.80, which ranked fourth on the team. He recorded four top-five finishes in 11 tournaments during the 2014-15 campaign, and he earned second-team All-NCAC honors. In 2013, Geise was a first-team all-league selection, and in 2014 he claimed honorable mention for the NCAC.

Written By: Ryan Maurer