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Conference USA Men's Golf Awards Announced
MGolf All-Conference

	Harold Varner, East Carolina

May 1, 2012

IRVING, Texas - East Carolina senior Harold Varner was named the 2012 C-USA Golfer of the Year, UTEP's Martin Simonsen earned Freshman of the Year honors, UCF sophomore Ricardo Gouveia was chosen the Newcomer of the Year and Memphis' Grant Robbins was named the Coach of the Year. The all-conference vote was done by the league's 11 head coaches.

Men's Golf All-CUSA Teams

Varner compiled seven Top 10 finishes during his senior season, including medalist honors at the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic among a field of 74 golfers. He tied for 10^th at the 2012 C-USA Championship to lead the Pirates to a third-place finish. Varner posted a 2-1-1 record against four top-35 opponents at the 2012 Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championships in Bradenton, Fla. He was named Golfer of the Week twice this season and five times during his career.

Varner is joined on the All-Conference USA First Team by a pair from Memphis and duo from UCF. Memphis seniors Jack Belote and Jonathan Fly both earned a spot on the 2012 C-USA All-Tournament Team, while Fly was also the 2011 Conference USA medalist. Knight senior Brad Schneider and sophomore Ricardo Gouveia also earned selections to the first team. Schneider earned second-team honors in 2009 and 2010.

UCF also placed two representatives on the All-Conference USA Second Team with sophomores Greg Eason and Jose Joia. Seniors Adam Stephenson of East Carolina and Max Buckley of SMU, along with UTEP freshman Martin Simonsen, also earned a nod to the second team.

Robbins led the Tigers to their first C-USA Men's Golf Championship during the 2012 event at Texarkana Country Club. Memphis led wire-to-wire to win the tournament titles, outshooting three-time defending champion UCF by two strokes.

Simonsen was named the 2012 C-USA Freshman of the Year. The Miner earned a spot on the all-tournament team, placing fourth overall in the 55-man field. Joining Simonsen on the All-Freshman Team was fellow All-Tournament Team selection Roman Robledo of Houston, SMU's Sam Fidone, Matt Mabrey of Tulsa and UAB's Paul Dunne.

UCF's Gouveia was the unanimous selection as the Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore transferred from Lynn University and he is currently ranked No. 56 by Golfweek. He placed eighth overall at the 2012 C-USA Championship, one of four top 10 finishes and eight top 20 finishes this season. Gouveia won medalist honors in his second tournament with the Knights, shooting a season low 66 in the final round of the Adams Cup of Newport.

2012 C-USA MEN'S GOLF AWARDS

Golfer of the Year: Harold Varner, East Carolina

Freshman of the Year: Martin Simonsen, UTEP

Newcomer of the Year: Ricardo Gouveia, UCF

Coach of the Year: Grant Robbins, Memphis

All-Conference USA First Team