One can only speculate what Lee University’s Beck Burnette might have done in his first year of college golf if given a full season this spring to follow his hot start. What’s certain is that Burnette accomplished enough in a schedule shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to be honored as the NCAA Division II winner of the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award, as announced this week by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Already a PING All-America second-team member and an All-South Region selection this year, Burnette’s scoring average of 71.30 for 2019-20 ranked 10th in D-II, according to Golfstat, and set a single-season program record for the Flames, who enjoyed a No. 7 national ranking this year. Burnette finished 11th or better in all six events in which Lee competed, with four of those in the fall schedule. Before going on to become a PGA Tour star and the winner of five major championships, Phil Mickelson was a college golf standout at Arizona State who won three NCAA individual titles and was a four-time All-American, and the annual awards that bear his name recognize the potential of young talents such as Burnette. “I’m extremely blessed to be the recipient of the Mickelson award. I’m honored to be selected, and this definitely is a confidence boost for the rest of my collegiate career,” he said in a Lee release. “Being nationally recognized is something I only could have dreamed of just a few years ago. But winning this is also humbling when I see the other great players that have won the Mickelson award in the past.” Burnette also said he was thankful for the encouragement and guidance of his teammates and coach John Maupin, who described the freshman’s performance as “incredible.” Added Maupin: “When you look at the past winners of this award, you quickly see how prestigious it is, and it’s exciting to see Lee University represented on there now. Beck set this as a goal for himself to begin the year and put the work in; it’s very cool to see that pay off for him.” This year’s other Mickelson honorees are Florida’s Ricky Castillo in Division I, Averett’s Elias Haavisto in Division III, Keiser’s Wilhelm Ahlgren in NAIA and Ranger’s Jacob Scov Oleseon in NJCAA.
Staff file photo / UTC’s Tanner Smith, right, was the SoCon’s freshman wrestler of the year for 2019.Wrestling
* University of Tennessee at Chattanooga redshirt sophomore Tanner Smith is a national Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American. Smith, who is majoring in business analytics, has a 3.85 GPA and is the Mocs’ 14th NWCA Scholar All-American. On the mat, he is a two-time NCAA tournament qualifier who was the Southern Conference freshman of the year in 2019 and this past season led the Mocs with a 25-9 record, was the league runner-up at 149 pounds and was seeded 22nd for the national tournament before it was canceled.
Tennis
* Sewanee has three Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Americans this year, with the tandem of senior Ellie Czura and junior Catherine Owen recognized in women’s doubles and senior Jordan Brewer honored in men’s singles. Czura and Owen finished the 2019-20 season with a No. 9 national ranking and a 4-1 record, including 3-0 in the spring schedule while helping the Tigers go 4-1 before play was halted and ultimately canceled. Czura and Owen, whose selections brought the Sewanee women’s program’s all-time ITA All-Americans sum to 15, were twice named the Southern Athletic Association doubles team of the week in the short spring season. Brewer went 10-1 and was 20th in the season’s final rankings, going 6-0 in the spring schedule to help the Tigers post a 4-2 record and finish his collegiate career with a 55-17 singles mark. He is the men’s program’s 11th All-American.