10-Year Celebration: UMAC Men's Golf All-Decade honors
ST. PAUL, Minn.---As part of its 2018-19 "10-Year Celebration," the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) named five individual players to the UMAC Men's Golf All-Decade Team and recognized a Coach of the Decade and Team of the Decade, the conference announced Thursday.
The five individuals named to the All-Decade Team include Josh Hansen (Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College, 2013-2016), Evan Lunda (Northland College, 2014-2017), Tom Messner (Crown College, 2013-2016), Jonathan Pederson (Bethany Lutheran College, 2011-2014) and Mac Saby (Northwestern, 2014-2017). University of Northwestern's Billy Aune earned the Coach of the Decade honor and the 2010 North Central University squad was picked as the Men's Golf Team of the Decade
All-Decade Team
Josh Hansen, Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College (2013-2016)
Hansen earned four UMAC all-conference honors during his career at Martin Luther and Bethany Lutheran. He twice finished as the runner-up at the UMAC Championship (2013, 2015) including a career-best 222 (+6) in 2015 to finish one stroke off the medalist. In each of his four seasons, Hansen ranked in the top 10 for UMAC stroke average including three times in fourth with a career-low 76.5 in 2016.
Evan Lunda, Northland College (2014-2016)
Lunda was a three-time All-UMAC finisher at the UMAC Championship for Northland. In 2015, Lunda recorded his best finish placing fourth with a score of 227 (+11). That season he was selected as the UMAC Player of the Year and owned a UMAC-best 75.3 stroke average to lead the conference. Lunda ranked eighth or better in scoring average each season and was five times UMAC Player of the Week.
Tom Messner, Crown College (2013-2016)
Messner earned All-UMAC honors each of his four seasons at Crown. He helped lead the Storm to two conference titles in 2014 and 2015 earning the league AQ to the NCAA tournament. In 2015, Messner won the UMAC Championship with a score of 221 (+5). As a senior in 2016 Messner followed up winning UMAC Player of the Year and led in stroke average 76.3 for most of the season. He ranked in the top two in avearge each of his final three seasons.
Jonathan Pederson, Bethany Lutheran College (2011-2014)
Pederson boasts four all-conference honors and two runner-up finishes at the UMAC Championship including a career-best 230 (+14) as a senior in 2014. As a junior, Pederson helped Bethany Lutheran to a conference title and a NCAA tournament appearance the following spring. In three of his four seasons, Pederson led the UMAC in stroke average including a career-best 74.9 in the fall of 2014.
Mac Saby, University of Northwestern (2014-2017)
Saby was a three-time All-UMAC finisher and earned UMAC Player of the Year accolades in 2017 after leading the conference in stroke average (76.7). In 2016, Saby helped Northwestern earn its first AQ to the NCAA tournament after winning medalist honors with a score of 221 (+5). His day three round of 67 (-5) is the lowest individual round in the 10 years of NCAA participation for the UMAC. Saby ranked in the top 10 scoring average three times.
Coach of The Decade
Billy Aune, University of Northwestern
Aune has served as the Northwestern men's golf coach since 1995 and owns four UMAC team titles. During the first 10 years of NCAA membership, Aune's Eagles finished first or second at the UMAC Championship four times and placed in the top three seven of 10 seasons. In 2016, the Eagles captured first and the UMAC AQ to the national championship. Aune has coached two UMAC medalists in the 10-year time span and was UMAC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2015, 2016).
Team of The Decade
North Central University, 2010
North Central won the UMAC Championship in 2010 to capture the conference's first-ever NCAA AQ bid. The Rams recorded the best three-day score in conference history at 907 (+43) and finished 39 strokes ahead of the runner-up. Four Rams earned all-conference honors and placed in the top six finishers including medalist Ty Liljander who was finished with a score of 216 (E). Team members included Taylor Alvarado, Daniel Johnson, Ty Liljander, Taylor Murphy, Nathan Roeder, Jon-Michael Sherman, Ben Thorson and Curtis Ward. Coaches were Todd Monger and Spencer Hutton.
Throughout 2018-19, the UMAC will recognize individual athletes and one coach for each conference sport on All-Decade Teams and name one team as Team of the Decade. Individuals and teams were nominated by UMAC full and associate member institutions and the teams were selected by a committee of administrators and coaches from the UMAC. The All-Decade recognition is part of the UMAC "10-Year Celebration" commemorating the first 10 years of NCAA Division III membership for the UMAC.
All-Decade Team Archives
"10-Year Celebration" Page