ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four members of the Fighting Illini men’s golf team were recognized Tuesday (April 30) when the Big Ten Conference announced its annual postseason awards.
Max Herendeen was the unanimous choice as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and joined junior Jackson Buchanan to give Illinois two unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten first team. Sophomore Ryan Voois earned second-team All-Big Ten honors, and fifth-year senior Timmy Crawford was recognized as the Fighting Illini’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Herendeen becomes the eighth Illini to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, adding to the program’s conference-leading total. The Bellevue, Washington native ranks No. 56 in the NCAA Division I men’s golf rankings, second on the team, fourth in the Big Ten, and sixth among all freshman nationally. Through the Big Ten Championship, Herendeen’s season stroke average of 71.28 is on pace to set the Illinois program’s freshman record. He made his collegiate debut in his home state of Washington, finishing as runner-up (via a playoff for medalist honors) to lead the Illini to the team title at the season opener at the Sahalee Players Championship in September, a performance that earned Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors. Herendeen leads the team with 10 top-20 finishes through his first 11 collegiate stroke-play events and has notched a team-most 18 rounds at par or better.
Buchanan, who finished as runner-up to earn All-Big Ten Championship team accolades last weekend Scioto Country Club, earns his second-consecutive All-Big Ten first team selection. He is the Big Ten’s top-rated golfer in the NCAA rankings at No. 28 nationally. A native of Dacula, Georgia, Buchanan has a career-best season stroke average of 70.65, on pace for the sixth-best mark in program history. He has recorded two individual tournament victories on the season – at the Purdue Fall Invitational in September and the Duck Invitational in March – to take home a pair of Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors and leads Illinois with top-10 finishes in eight of 11 stroke-play events. He has closed as the Illini’s top finisher in a team-leading four tournaments, and through 32 stroke-play rounds he ranks as the team leader with 11 rounds in the 60s and 13 rounds under par.
Voois earns the first all-Big Ten selection of his career…
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