The Brevard College men’s golf freshmen class is currently ranked No. 1 in all of Division II, according to GolfStat.
“Our current freshman class is outstanding,” said head coach David Nelson. “Sebastian Strehl has been the most consistent, and currently leads the team with a 73.7 stroke average. He had two top-10 finishes this fall season. Oskar Lundgren is not far behind at 75.1, and recently received all-tournament recognition at Walters State. Brett Hawken is also at 75.7, and basically been very steady at every event.
“Our fourth freshman that has played in our top five is Luis Vega. He’s shown steady improvement, and recently finished eighth overall at Walters State. We have a very solid foundation to build on for the future. I think we will surprise some people this spring with our play.”
The ranking is based off of a calculation of the freshman class impact on the team. Nelson’s squad has seen three freshmen, Strehl, Lundgren and Hawken, who has played in the top-five in every tournament during the fall 2013 slate.
“I’ve not been this excited about our freshman class since 2005, which led us to a national ranking,” said Nelson. “The prospect of these players continuing to grow and gain experience leads me to believe we can be very competitive for years to come.”
It marks the second time in Nelson’s career that his freshmen class has been ranked No. 1. In 2005, his team finished the season No. 1 while earning a No. 1 finish in the region for 16 consecutive weeks and a top-25 national ranking.
The Tornados earned three top-10 finishes as a team during the fall while improving each tournament. BC earned consecutive top-five finishes at the State Farm Intercollegiate (fifth) and Walters State 2013 Fall Invitational (third), respectively.
“This year we brought in a record class that included seven freshmen and a transfer„” said Nelson. ”It’s rare to see so many freshmen contribute right away. My top four players are international players, which means they all have to get accustomed to American golf courses.
“In most cases coaches have a one to two year learning curve with freshmen before they can really make an impact on their program. I’m blessed to have four who are contributing right away.”
The Tornados have completed their fall slate and will start the spring season in Feb. 2014.