Lynn Men's Golf Showered with All-Americans

June 19, 2019

Men’s Golf

GCAA All-America

Norman, Okla. – Lynn University’s men’s golf team is over three weeks out from winning its second consecutive national championship and the program continues to rake in awards. Four Fighting Knights earned Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-America plaudits, as announced on Wednesday. Toto Gana was previously named a First Team All-American at the national championship with Giovanni Manzoni collecting Second Team honors and Carlos Bustos and Jorge Villar picking up Honorable Mention recognition.

The four honorees ties for the second-most selections for a single-season in program history and marks the sixth consecutive year, and 15^th overall, with multiple All-Americans. Additionally, this is the third consecutive season a freshman has earned All-America accolades. Lynn’s four selections matched Barry for most in the nation, with the next-best school earning two honors.

Gana was Lynn’s top golfer all season long, posting a 71.33 stroke average and a team-best eight top-10 finishes, including a victory at the NCAA D2 Preview and top-five finishes at the Sunshine State Conference Championship and NCAA National Championship. Gana earned Second Team plaudits last season and becomes the 14^th golfer in program history to be a two-time awardee. The junior from Santiago, Chile, was also announced as the SSC Male Athlete of the Year.

Manzoni did not make his debut until early spring but made an immediate impact upon his arrival into the starting lineup. The freshman led the Fighting Knights with a 71.14 stroke average, logged three top-five finishes in six tournaments and won the NCAA South/Southeast Regional, only the third NCAA Regional victory in school history. At the national championship he averaged 71.33 in three rounds before boasting an eye-popping 68.67 average in three matches.

Bustos cemented his legacy as a big-game golfer after helping the Blue and White to their second straight title. The junior out of Chile ended the season with a 72.56 stroke average and three top-10 finishes. More impressive was his 3-0 match play record at the national championship.

Villar joins Gana and Felix Kvarnstrom as golfers to garner Freshman All-America honors one year and All-America recognition the next. He started the season on fire with a pair of top-10 finishes and cooled in mid-spring but ended strong with a 10^th place finish at the NCAA South/Southeast Regional and an unblemished 3-0 mark in match play at the national championship.

Lynn returns all five starters from its championship squad, which includes four All-Americans and a Freshman All-American, for its quest for a three-peat.

About the Fighting Knights
Lynn University’s national champion Fighting Knights compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. The university’s 19 intercollegiate teams are home to over 300 student athletes. Lynn is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and winner of 25 national championships and 42 Sunshine State Conference titles. Representing spirit, service and strength, the Fighting Knights strive for greatness through athletic performance and academic excellence. For more information, visit:lynnfightingknights.com.

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