Schaetzel Earns All-Big Ten First Team Honors
4/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
PARK RIDGE, Ill. C Senior Tim Schaetzel(Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) of the University of Michigan men's golf team was named to the All-Big Ten Conference first team as announced by the league office Tuesday (April 29). He is the first Wolverine to earn the conference accolade since Andy Matthews was a first team selection in 2002. In addition to the first team honor, Schaetzel was also awarded as U-M's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
Schaetzel, who is the 16th Wolverine to earn All-Big Ten honors in program history, paced the Wolverines to one of their finest seasons in eight years. He leads the team with a career-best 73.72 per round average and a 220.67 54-hole tournament average, posting seven top-20 finishes in 11 events, including three top-10 and top-five finishes. Among his three top-five finishes, Schaetzel posted his first two medalist honors of his career, tying with four players for the top spot at the Purdue's Midwest Shootout (Sept. 8) and winning the Wolverine at Mission Inn (Nov. 5-6). Schaetzel was in integral part of the Wolverines' fifth-place finish at the 2008 Big Ten Championships-- U-M's best finish in 10 years. Schaetzel finished the conference tournament with a career-best 302 72-hole tournament total and tie for 22nd individual finish.
"I am incredibly honored and excited to be named to the All-Big Ten first team," said Schaetzel. "It is a great reward for the hard work I've put in this year and throughout my college career. I think it's another good step for the program as we continue to improve. Between qualifying for NCAAs, having our highest individual finish and team finish in a number of years at Big Tens, and now this, it's been a really exciting way to finish out my college career."
"It is a great honor for Tim and for our program for him to be selected to the All-Big Ten first team," said U-M coach Andrew Sapp. "He has had a wonderful year with two wins and consistent play, and hopefully this recognition will give him that added confidence going into the postseason. He has been a great leader on and off the course, and I am very proud of him."
Schaetzel is joined on the list by several of the other stars of the Big Ten: Indiana's Jorge Campillo, who was also the Big Ten Player of the Year, Michigan State's Ryan Brehm and Randy Hutchison and Minnesota's Victor Almstrom and Clayton Rask. Members of the Big Ten's second team include Indiana's Seth Brandon, Michigan State's Jack Newman, Ohio State's Kyle Coconis and Bo Hoag, Penn State's Robert Rohanna and Wisconsin's Dan Woltman. Illinois' Scott Langley was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Schaetzel has been a mainstay in the Wolverine lineup. He has started 40 of 41 career events, including not missing a start in the last three season, extending his streak to 38 events with a start. He has averaged 75.16 strokes per round for his career and his 29 career rounds of par or better with a career-best four-under 67 set in the first round of the 2005 Wolverine Intercollegiate (Sept. 24-25).
The Wolverines, who are waiting to see if they will earn their first NCAA Regional selection in eight years, will close the regular season with one final tournament Saturday and Sunday (May 10-11) at Oklahoma's The Maxwell in Ardmore, Okla. The 54-hole event will be played at Dornick Hills Country Club. NCAA Regional selections will be made Monday, May 5, at noon.
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
