RICHMOND, Va. (May 11, 2012)--George Mason junior Kevin Yerks was named to the All CAA Second Team today. Yerks is the first Patriot since Marshall Tinsley earned the same honor in 2010.

Yerks shot a three-over par final round to earn third-place overall at the 2012 CAA Championship at Wilmington Country Club. He also finished tied for second place at the 7,202-yard, 71 par Penn State Blue Course during the Rutherford Intercollegiate which earned him CAA Player of the Week honors. He played in nine straight tournaments after missing the opening Navy Fall Tournament. He led Mason this season with a 75.2 stroke average.

UNCW junior Thomas Bass was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Golfer of the Year in a vote of the league's head coaches.

Also earning top honors from the conference were Georgia State's Davin White as CAA Rookie of the Year and the UNCW's Matt Clark as CAA Coach of the Year.

Bass posted an average score of 73.19 through nine tournaments during the 2011-12 season, including a season-best tie for fourth place at the CAA Championship after carding a 80-72-69—221. The junior received the yearly honor after placing among the top 20 in seven tournaments, including four finishes in the top eight. The junior will lead the Seahawks at the NCAA Regional.

White completed the CAA Championship as the runner-up after the 54-hole event carding 77-72-69—218. His second place effort was the best of his young career after competing in nine tournaments during the 2011-12 season. White finished among the top half in four of his nine events. He carded a career-low 69 in a pair of rounds and posted an average score of 74.85 during his rookie campaign.

Clark was named CAA Men's Coach of the Year for the second straight season at the helm of UNCW, and the third time in his career. He guided the Seahawks to their fourth overall and second consecutive CAA title.  UNCW finished among the top 13 in all 10 tournaments and among the top five in three events. He will guide the Seahawks to their third straight and sixth overall appearance at the NCAA Regionals.

 

2012 Men's Golf All-CAA First Team

Thomas Bass, UNCW                                                Jr.                   Holly Spring, N.C./Holly Spring

Marc Dobias, VCU                                                      Jr.                   Lausanne, Switzerland/Midland Community College

Tyler Gruca, Georgia State                                     So.                  Alpharatta, Ga./Milton               

Payne McLeod, UNCW                                            So.                  Reidsville, N.C./ Reidsville

Thomas Wilde, Old Dominion                               Jr.                   Berkshire, England/John Hampden       

 

2012 Men's Golf All-CAA Second Team

Clemens Dvorak, Georgia State                           Sr.                   Vienna, Austria/Meridian Community College

Neil Henderson, Old Dominion                            Sr.                   North Berwick, Scotland/North Berwick             

Greg Matthias, Delaware                                       Sr.                   Wilmington, Del./Salesianum

Jeremy Wells, William & Mary                              Jr.                   Hopewell, Va./St. Christopher's School

Kevin Yerks, George Mason                                  Jr.                   Ashburn, Va./Broad Run