May 9, 2018
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior Ryan Han captured first-team honors, freshman Thomas Hutchison garnered second-team and Freshman of the Year distinction, and junior Tanner Hughes won honorable mention on the All-Big West Conference awards slate for men's golf, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.
This is the first all-league honor for each. Hutchison becomes the second UC Davis golfer to capture Freshman of the Year honors, joining Matt Hansen in 2011.
Han, who capped his 2017-18 season with a Big West Conference individual medalist and NCAA Stockton Regional berth, led the Aggies with a 73.17 stroke average. He also had eight rounds at par or better, including scores of 67 and 68 at the conference championship. The aerospace engineering major from Hollister, California, also had a tie for sixth at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic and a tie for 19th at the El Macero Classic as part of his stretch run.
Hutchison, a mathematics major from San Jose, California, was the only UC Davis player to appear in all 10 tournaments for the year. He finished second on the team with a 73.24 average round, matched Han's total of eight rounds at par or better, and enjoyed top-10 individual finishes at The Prestige at PGA WEST (t10th) and the El Macero Classic (T7th). Hutchison, the younger brother of 2018 Big West Conference Women's Golfer of the Year Samantha Hutchison, also had the team's best round of the year: a 7-under-par 65 at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in early February.
Hughes, a managerial economics major from Livermore, transferred to UC Davis from California last fall, but did not make his first appearance until The Prestige at PGA WEST in February. He finished in a tie for 21st in that tough field, earning a spot in the Aggie lineup for the rest of the season. Hughes shot a 1-under 215 at the Cowboy Classic for a share of 20th place, then ended his first UC Davis season with a tie for 11th at the Big West tournament.
CSUN's Felix Mory was selected as Big West Men's Golfer of the Year, while UC Irvine's Paul Smolinski won Coach of the Year.
UC Davis finished second at the conference championship, contested from April 29 to May 1 at Industry Hills. Han begins play at the NCAA Stockton Regional on Monday.
2018 ALL-BIG WEST CONFERENCE - MEN'S GOLF
FIRST TEAM
Brett Bennett, UC Santa Barbara
Derek Castillo, Cal State Fullerton
Joe Fryer, Long Beach State
Ryan Han, UC Davis
David Kim, UC Irvine
Felix Mory, CSUN
Nick Swanson, UC Santa Barbara
SECOND TEAM
Mark Cobey, Cal State Fullerton
Andres Gonzalez, Long Beach State
Thomas Hutchison, UC Davis
Matt Moomijan, UC Santa Barbara
Brandon Tsujimoto, UC Riverside
HONORABLE MENTION
Nick Cantlay, Long Beach State
Tanner Hughes, UC Davis
Jonathan Kang, UC Irvine
Martin Manalo, Cal State Fullerton
Tyler Moore, UC Riverside
Brandon Bauman, UC Santa Barbara
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
DON'T MISS OUT!: Season and single-game tickets for all UC Davis spring sports, plus renewals for Aggie football, are now on sale by contacting the
Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at UCDavisAggies.com.
