BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Four members of the Gustavus men's golf team have been named MIAC All-Conference members, highlighted by sophomore
Jimmy Abdo being named the MIAC Men's Golfer of the Year.
The season has been fruitful for the Gusties, who return to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships for the first time since the 2021-22 season and have the most All-Conference honorees since the 2022-23 season, when they also boasted four members. This year's honorees include sophomore
Jimmy Abdo (Edina, Minn.), senior
Wyatt Carlson (Wayzata, Minn.), junior
Blake Forrest (Maple Grove, Minn.) and senior
Chris Gutuza (Johannesburg, South Africa).
Abdo has led the charge the entire season to earn Golfer of the Year Honors, maintaining a 73.0 scoring average to sit at the No. 44 ranked Division III men's golfer according to Clippd. Abdo's season started outside of the NCAA realm, making a cinderella run to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Amateur. After making waves on the national stage, Abdo returned home and maintained a high level of play, including an eighth place finish at the NCAA Preview, going -3 through three rounds. The Edina native was named a PING All-Region member on Sunday night, adding an honor to a great spring which has included a T-3 performance at the Illinois Wesleyan Spring Invite and a T-2 result at the Bobby Krig Invite to help the Gusties earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. This is Abdo's second All-Conference honor, also being named a member in his first year.
Carlson is making his first appearance on the All-Conference list in his senior season, playing 26 rounds for the Gusties this season overall. Carlson has a 74.5 scoring average, which ranked 13th out of MIAC golfers with over 15 rounds played this season. and finished second at the MIAC Championships in the fall, including two rounds played at even par or better in the event to earn All-Conference honors.
The third honoree, Forrest, also is celebrating his first All-Conference honor. Forrest has been a mainstay for the top Gustie group at events throughout the season and holds a 74.9 scoring average so far this season. The Maple Grove native had a season low round of 70, set at the Bobby Krig Invite helping him finish tied for eighth and give Gustavus a 15-stroke win in their home meet.
Gutuza is no stranger to being named MIAC All-Conference, being named to the group in all four seasons as a Gustie. He is the only active member in MIAC men's golf to hold that title and is the first Gustie since Jacob Pedersen, who earned All-Conference honors from the 2018-19 season through 2021-22. The Johannesburg native has had a stellar season for Gustavus, averaging 73.2 strokes per round while also garnering the lowest single round in school history, a 63 on the third round at the Minnesota Golf Classic, which also is the lowest in the MIAC this year. The senior was named a PING All-Region member last night, continuing to file in honors as he and the team prepare for the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships on Tuesday through Friday.
The Gustavus men's golf team starts the NCAA Championships tomorrow in Florida, paired with John Carroll and Mary Hardin-Baylor, teeing off at 8:20 a.m. local time, 9:20 a.m. Central time.
