Stanger Named Men's Golf ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
June 26, 2017
Charlotesville, Va. – Virginia senior Jimmy Stanger (Tampa, Fla.) has been recognized as the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year and headlines the sport’s All-ACC Academic Team, as announced today (June 26) by commissioner John Swofford. He becomes the first UVA player to win the award since the league established it for men’s golf in 2008. Stanger is one of five Cavaliers named to the league’s All-Academic Team.
A 2017 graduate from Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Stanger earned PING/GCAA All-America first-team honors during his final season with the Cavaliers, becoming the first player in program history to be a first-team selection.
An All-ACC selection, he won the 2017 ACC individual championship and placed 11th at the NCAA Championships. He led the Cavaliers with a 70.82 stroke average and posted six top-10 finishes in 11 events.
This marks the third consecutive year Stanger has been named to the ACC All-Academic Team.
Senior Derek Bard (New Hartford, N.Y.) was tabbed for the All-Academic team for the fourth consecutive year. An All-ACC selection, Bard was also picked to the PING All-Region Team.
Junior Danny Walker (Bradenton, Fla.) and sophomore Thomas Walsh (High Point, N.C.) also repeated on the All-Academic squad. Freshman Luke Schaap (Potomac, Md.) was selected for the first time. He was one of five freshmen named to the team.
UVA and Duke were the only ACC teams to place five players on the team. All five of the Cavalier selection comprised the team’s lineup for this year’s NCAA Championships. UVA placed 10th, its highest finish in program history.
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career for undergraduate students. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.