2018-19 MIAC MEN'S GOLF AWARDS
2018-19 MIAC WOMEN'S GOLF AWARDS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Five Augsburg University golfers earned postseason honors from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for their accomplishments during the 2018-19 season, it was announced by the conference office.

For men's golf, Auggie Brett Buckingham (JR, Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area HS) was named to the 17-member All-MIAC team (15 members, two honorable mentions) for the third straight season, Harrison Cooper (JR, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) earned an All-MIAC spot for the second straight year, and Dakota Krech (SR, Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) was named to the All-MIAC team for the first time. Gunnar Goodmanson (SO, Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. For women's golf, Augsburg's Emma Kraft (FY, Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS) earned All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team honors. It's the first MIAC awards for Goodmanson and Kraft.

For the second straight year, Buckingham paced the Auggie men's golf squad, leading the team with a 74.3 stroke average -- the third-best single-season average for an Auggie during the past decade -- and .855 (641-109) win-loss percentage, recording four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in his 10 events this season, including a fourth-place finish at the 2018 MIAC Championships to earn MIAC All-Championship Team (top-10) honors for the second year in a row. Buckingham recorded the fifth-best stroke average this season among MIAC golfers in overall statistics.

Buckingham finished with a score in the 70s in 20 of his 22 competitive rounds this season, including 17 rounds of 75 or better. In 66 rounds in his three seasons, Buckingham has a 74.8 career stroke average and .831 (1,891-385) win-loss percentage. His career stroke average is the best for an Auggie in at least the past 10 years.

For the second year in a row, Buckingham also earned the MIAC Elite 22 Award for academic excellence in men's golf, given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average among all-conference honorees at a conference championship in individual sports. Buckingham is a marketing and management major with a 4.00 GPA.

Cooper had another strong campaign for the Auggies, finishing third on the team with a 75.9 stroke average -- tied for 15th-best among MIAC golfers -- and .699 (494-213) win-loss percentage. He had top-10 finishes in four of his 10 events, including a win in the season-ending dual meet against Northwestern-St. Paul. He finished in a tie for 15th place at the 2018 MIAC Championships.

Cooper recorded scores in the 70s in 17 of his 21 competitive rounds this season, including 11 rounds of 75 or better. In his 65 competitive rounds in his career, Cooper has a 76.1 stroke average and .691 (1,509-675) win-loss percentage.

Krech had the best year of his collegiate career in his senior season, finishing second on the team with a 75.9 stroke average -- tied for 12th-best among MIAC golfers -- and .719 (508-199) win-loss percentage. He had top-10 finishes in four of his 10 events, including a win in a dual meet against Bethel on April 19. He finished in a tie for sixth place at the 2018 MIAC Championships to earn MIAC All-Championship Team honors for the first time.

Krech recorded scores in the 70s or better in 16 of his 21 competitive rounds this season, including 13 rounds of 75 or better. He shot a 69 in the final round of the MIAC Championships, tying a team season-best. Krech finished his 89-round collegiate career with a 76.7 stroke average and .685 (2,095-962) win-loss percentage.

Goodmanson and Kraft were named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team, as part of the conference's sportsmanship initiative. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. 

Playing in 15 rounds during the fall half of the season, Goodmanson finished fourth on the team in scoring with a 77.3 stroke average and .562 (286-223) win-loss percentage, with 13 of his 15 rounds in the 70s, including a 69 in the third round of the St. Thomas Pioneer Creek Collegiate Invitational on Sept. 9. In 34 rounds in his two seasons at Augsburg, Walker now has an 80.9 stroke average and .347 (409-768) win-loss percentage. Also a men's hockey player, Goodmanson was unable to compete in the spring half of the golf season due to an injury suffered during the hockey season.

Kraft had one of the best debut seasons for an Augsburg women's golfer in recent years, finishing with an 88.4 stroke average -- the 10th-best season average for an Auggie women's golfer in program history and best since Rachel Kristofferson's 87.2 average in the 2014-15 campaign.

Kraft led the Auggies in scoring in five of the team's six events this season, with two top-10 individual meet finishes and a .533 (131-115) win-loss percentage. She recorded scores in the 80s in seven of her 12 competitive rounds this season, including a season-best 84 in the second round of the 2018 MIAC Championships, where she placed 33rd. She had seven of Augsburg's 10-best individual round scores this season.

Under coach Eric Rolland, Augsburg's men's golf team finished the 2018-19 season with a 303.8 team stroke average, fourth-best among MIAC teams. The Auggies had an .555 (81-65) win-loss percentage, and tied for second place at the 2018 MIAC Championships.

Augsburg's women's golf team finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 374.7 team stroke average, finishing 10th at the 2018 MIAC Championships. The team stroke average is the seventh-best season average in program history.