Less than a year after senior Sam Russell's golf career nearly ended after a serious fall while mountain climbing in Wyoming, he earned All-Conference honors in his final competition over the weekend at the 2010 North Coast Athletic Conference Golf Championship Tournament. Russell and his teammates finished fourth in the tourney at the Mt. Vernon Country Club in Ohio and fifth in the overall series standings.
Russell received Second Team All-NCAC honors in 2009 before the accident. Doctors were uncertain whether he would be able to get back on the golf course this season. Russell not only returned, he scored his first collegiate hole-in-one during the fall golf season.
The NCAC Golf Championship Series is played over four events, ending with a three-round tournament in the spring. All-NCAC honors are based upon total number of strokes scored over the four-match series.
Junior Luke Moton was the top individual performer for the Little Giants this weekend. He finished 15th by shooting a 238 (78-79-81). Russell was right behind in 16th with a 239 (84-76-79). Charlie Kelly tied for 22nd with a 246 (85-76-85). Jordan Koch completed the team scoring with a 248 (79-86-83). Senior Kyle Nagdeman also finished his golf career at Wabash by shooting a 252 (86-81-85).
Wabash finished with a total of 966 strokes to take fourth place in the tourney. The Little Giants finished the four events with a tally of 2,894 strokes for fifth place in the final conference standings.