NORMAN, Okla. – The Carleton College men's golf program was named the 2021-22 Academic National Champions for finishing with the top grade-point average in NCAA Division III, as announced today by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
With a 3.71 GPA, the Knights led the 28 NCAA Division III squads to garner the GCAA's Outstanding Team Academic Award. Carleton paced the nine D-III men's teams that earned the Presidents Special Recognition by owning a grade-point average of at least 3.50. Another 19 schools surpassed 3.00 team GPAs this time around, a group that included only two other MIAC squads.
Harvard University was the academic national champ for Division I, while Newberry College paced D-II programs.
Additionally, two of Carleton's top performers this past season—
James Berger '23 (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Gunn) and
Anderson Murphy '23 (Coral Gables, Fla./Ransom Everglades)—garnered the GCAA All-America Scholar honors. To be eligible for this award, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically; participate in 50 percent of their team's competitive rounds; have a stroke average under 79.0 in NCAA Division III; and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.
Berger is a computer science major, while Murphy is studying political science/international relations. The duo made program history when they were both selected to the All-MIAC squad in May, marking the first time in team annals that the Knights had two players named to the all-conference team in the same year.
Berger led the 2022 Knights with a team best 76.2 stroke average, tallying two top-5 finishes, as well as two other top-20 finishes on the season, including a career low 18-hole score of 68 en route to placing first at the Wartburg Spring Invite. Murphy led the Knights with four rounds at par or better during the year, including a career-best 66 as he matched the MIAC Championships 18-hole scoring record. Murphy finished the year with a 77.4 stroke average.
