INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Bellarmine University senior Bryan Ratterman has been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Golf Player of the Year, it was announced by the conference office on Wednesday. Rockhurst University newcomer Nick Arman was tabbed GLVC Freshman of the Year, while University of Indianapolis mentor Brent Nicoson was voted by his peers as GLVC Coach of the Year. In addition, five individuals from four member schools completed the 11-member All-Conference team.
Ratterman, a native of Louisville, Ky., concluded the GLVC Championship with a 74.96 stroke average over 23 rounds on the season. Twice a winner on the year, Ratterman claimed victory at the UW-Parkside Fall Invitational at Strawberry Creek Golf Course at 147 (71-76) and with a 144 (72-72) at the GLIAC Preview at Hawkshead Golf Course in mid-September. During the spring season, he finished tied for second at The Jewell, following a 3-under-par 141 (68-73) in the 120-man field. Ratterman then tied for third at the GLVC Championships with a 1-over 217 (71-74-72), which earned him All-Conference honors. The 2010 GLVC Freshman of the Year now becomes Bellarmine’s second-ever GLVC Player of the Year, as Corey Kaufman earned the league’s top honor in 2000.
Arman is the first Rockhurst rookie to earn GLVC Freshman of the Year honors after completing 21 rounds this season with a 76.05 stroke average over nine tournaments in the fall and spring seasons. He led the Hawks in six of their nine tournaments, posting three top 10 and six top-20 finishes. The St. Louis, Mo., native posted his best finish of the year by tying for fourth place at the Midwest Regional last fall in Branson, Mo., shooting a 148 (74-74). He posted a career-best 18-hole round of 71 in the second round of the NCAA Fall Regional last fall in Eureka, Mo. Arman tied for 22nd at the GLVC Championships with a season-low 54-hole score of 226 (74-79-73) and was one of eight individual golfers selected to play in the NCAA Division II Central/Midwest Men's Golf Super Regional.
Nicoson made it a clean sweep this spring as both his men’s and women’s teams captured the GLVC Championships, which earned him GLVC Coach of the Year on both sides. This honor marks Nicoson’s third of his career as he was also recognized by his peers on the men’s side in both 2008 and 2009. This season he guided his Greyhounds to their GLVC-record 14th conference crown as well as their ninth consecutive NCAA Regional berth. In addition to coaching David Frank to All-Conference honors following his fifth-place finish at the GLVC Championship, Nicoson also mentored two other Hounds to All-GLVC distinction in senior Tobin Dunigan and junior Max Bowling, who were two of the five conference standouts voted All-Conference by the league coaches.
Joining Dunigan and Bowling as additional honorees were Bellarmine’s David Shearn, Missouri-St. Louis’ David Abolt, and Southern Indiana’s Logan Osborne. Each player earned their first-ever All-GLVC accolade and join six others on the team who finished in the top-five at the GLVC Championships. Those individuals included GLVC Champion and Missouri-St. Louis’s Joe Atkisson and teammate Chase Smith, Rockhurst’s Tanner Bulejski, Lewis’ Harrison Carmichael, UIndy’s Frank and Bellarmine’s Ratterman.
2013 GLVC MEN’S GOLF POSTSEASON HONORS
Player of the Year: Bryan Ratterman, Sr., Bellarmine
Freshman of the Year: Nick Arman, Rockhurst
Coach of the Year: Brent Nicoson, Indianapolis
2013 GLVC MEN’S GOLF ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Bryan Ratterman, BU
David Shearn, BU
Max Bowling, UINDY
Tobin Dunigan, UINDY
David Frank, UINDY
Harrison Carmichael, LEWIS
David Abolt, UMSL
Joe Atkisson, UMSL
Chase Smith, UMSL
Tanner Bulejski, RU
Logan Osborne, USI
*11-member team due to T-5th at GLVC Championships