Dixie State landed a league-best five players on the 2015-16 All-Pacific West Conference Men’s Golf Team, as announced on Tuesday by the conference office based on voting by the league’s head coaches. Sophomores Dane Nelson and Donny Hopoi were named first team all-conference, Andrew Chu was named PacWest Freshman of the Year and second team all-conference along with fellow freshman Compton Pikari and senior Kenny You earned third team all-PacWest honors.
Nelson (6-foot-1, Farmington, Utah/Davis HS) played in a team-high 28 competitive rounds and posted a 73.64 stroke average. He finished in the top 10 individually in four of 10 events overall, including medalist honors at the Cal State San Bernardino Coyote Classic in February and a t-fifth place showing at the NDNU Argonaut Invitational in March. Nelson earned all-PacWest Tournament honors with a ninth-place finish to help lead the Trailblazers to their second-straight PacWest title. The two-time conference player of the week led DSU with 15 rounds of par or better with 10 under-par rounds overall. He fired a career and DSU-season best 5-under 66 in the first round at CSUSB.
Hopoi (6-0, Aiea, Hawai’i/Kamehameha HS) played in nine collegiate events and is second on the team with a 73.56 stroke average in 25 competitive rounds. He posted two top-10 finishes overall, including a third-place showing at the UC San Diego SoCal Intercollegiate in March and a t-seventh at the PacWest Championship to earn all-tournament honors. Hopoi is second on the team with 11 rounds of par or better with seven under-par rounds overall, including a season-best 3-under 69 in the final round of the PacWest Championships.
Chu (5-7, Henderson, Nev./Foothill HS) became the third DSU player to earn conference Freshman of the Year honors, joining former players David Cunningham (2012) and Cody Wass (2013) on the list. Chu played in 23 competitive rounds and is third on the team with a 73.61 stroke average. He finished in the top 10 individually in two of eight events, both of which were in DSU team victories, including medalist honors in his second collegiate tournament to lead the Trailblazers to a win at the 44th Annual Western Washington Viking Invitational last September. Chu also posted a t-fifth place finish at the PacWest Championships to earn all-tournament honors. He carded 10 rounds of par or better with eight under-par rounds, highlighted by a career-best 3-under 69 in the first round at WWU.
Pikari (6-0, Te Awamutu, New Zealand/St. Peters HS) competed in seven spring tournaments and recorded a team-best 73.55 stroke average in 20 competitive rounds. He finished in the top 10 in two events, including a runner-up finish at the PacWest Championships to earn all-tournament recognition and a t-fourth place showing his first collegiate event at the Southern Utah Pat Hick Invitational, which earned him PacWest Player of the Week honors. Pikari shot under par in three total tournaments, two of which came in NCAA Division I events at SUU and the BYU PING Cougar Classic last month and at the PacWest Championships. Overall he carded eight under-par rounds overall, including back-to-back rounds of 3-under 69 at BYU.
You (5-11, Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) played in 22 competitive rounds this season and posted a 73.77 stroke average. The two-time PacWest Player of the Year and 2015 PING All-American finished in the top 10 in two of eight events, including a t-second place finish in DSU’s win at Western Washington and a t-fifth place showing at the Saint Martin’s Men’s Invitational last September. He carded five under-par rounds overall, including rounds of 3-under 69 at SMU and WWU.
Dixie State, which advanced to its eighth-straight NCAA Division II regional appearance by virtue of winning the PacWest title, continues play at the West/South Central Regional Championships through this Wednesday.
Steve Johnson is the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and Collegiate Licensing at Dixie State University. For more DSU Athletics news, please visit www.dixieathletics.com and follow Dixie State on Twitter at @DixieAthletics.