By Mark Colachico, Interim Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- For the first time since 1963, Willamette University's men's golf team had a student-athlete earn All-America honors.

Ryan Kukula (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) was named a honorable mention on the Division III PING All-America Teams, as announced earlier this summer by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

"This is a great honor for Ryan and our program," said Head Coach Patrick Daugherty. "Coming off a successful junior season in which he was runner-up for Player of the Year in our conference after winning the award as a sophomore, Ryan deserves this award.I know that Ryan is very grateful and humbled by the award, as he has already said how it will motivate and push him to exceed that this year."

Among the 40 players on this year's PING All-America Teams, Kukula is the only player from the Northwest and is joined by six other players from schools along theWest Coast - Bobby Holden from Redlands (1st Team), Kethan Reddy from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1st Team), Jeremy Gomberg from Redlands (2nd Team), Kelby Scharmann from La Verne (2nd Team), Mikey McGinn from California Lutheran (Honorable Mention), and Brad Shigezawa from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Honorable Mention).

Last season, Kukula average 74.2 strokes per round and posted a season-low 67 at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic and Willamette Spring Thaw.

Kukula was medalist three times - Culturame Men's Classic, NWC Fall Classic, and Willamette Spring Thaw - and finished in the Top 5 four times, including a third place finish individually at the Northwest Conference Championships.

Thanks to his performance on the course, Kukula earned First Team All-Northwest Conference for the second straight year. Kukula finished second in the Player of the Year voting behind Whitworth's Jesse Salzwedel after taking home the hardware as a sophomore.

In 60 rounds, Kukula is averaging 75.0 strokes per round and has captured seven individual titles during his collegiate career.