Four Ferris State Golfers Attain All-Conference Recognition

*2009-10 All-GLIAC Men's Golf Release* PDF

Four Ferris State University men's golf student-athletes have picked up All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors for the 2009-10 season, highlighted by senior Eric Lilleboe (Okemos/Lansing Catholic Central) earning the conference's top individual award.  The announcement was made this Monday (May 17) by the league office.

Lilleboe becomes a two-time GLIAC Men's Golf "Athlete of the Year" Award recipient after previously earning the honor in the 2007-08 season.  The Bulldogs' top golfer this season, Lilleboe also earned first-team all-conference plaudits for the third straight campaign and was the medalist at the 2009-10 GLIAC Championships with a three-round four-under par 209-stroke total (70-70-69=209).

Joining Lilleboe on the All-GLIAC First Team were senior Kurt Valley (Bay City/Western) and junior Garrett Simons (Grand Ledge) while senior Craig Burrows (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Olmstead Falls) claimed honorable mention team laurels.

Chase Olsen of Grand Valley State was tabbed as the GLIAC's "Freshman of the Year" while Wayne State's Mike Horn earned the GLIAC "Coach of the Year" Award in balloting conducted by the conference's men's golf head coaches.

The all-conference selections for men's golf are based upon a player's stroke average in their best 15 rounds in league competition, which included the three rounds of the 2009-10 GLIAC Championships.  All ties were broken by total strokes in the GLIAC Championships.

Eric Lilleboe currently has produced a team-leading and career single-season best 72.34 stroke average (2,098 total strokes) in 29 rounds this season.  He has amassed 11 top-20 placings this season, which features seven among the top five individuals in a tournament.  Lilleboe, who was also a first-team all-league pick in 2007-08 and 2008-09, has been the medalist in three tournaments this season - Saginaw Valley State Al Watrous Memorial Intercollegiate (Sept. 12-13), Ferris State Matt Pinter Invitational (Sept. 26-27), and GLIAC Championships (Oct. 3-5).  He was recognized as the GLIAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Week four times (Sept. 15, 22, 29 and Oct. 7) this 2009-10 campaign. 

Kurt Valley received all-conference kudos for the third time in his collegiate career and is a repeat first-team honoree (2008-09 and 2009-10).  Valley is averaging 74.66 strokes per round (2,165 total strokes) in 29 rounds and has racked up five top-10 place performances.  He attained honorable mention all-league laurels in the 2007-08 season.

Garrett Simons landed a spot on the all-conference squad for the first time in his career and is presently averaging 74.41 strokes a round (2,158 total strokes) in 29 rounds.  He has chalked up eight top-20 place efforts with five occurring among the top five.  Simons placed 11th at the GLIAC Championships as a result of carding a 226 score (77-72-77=226) in the three-round tournament.

Craig Burrows has assembled a 76.33 stroke average (2,061 total strokes) in 27 rounds this season to date.  He has accumulated five top-20 placings this campaign, which includes three within the top 10 individuals in tourney action. 

The four will participate in the 2010 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships this week (May 18-21) at The Sagamore Club in Noblesville, Ind.