Gavin Smith, Fred Joseph Receive PSAC Postseason Golf Awards

IUP freshman Gavin Smith has been named the PSAC Rookie of the Year and Fred Joseph was selected Coach of the Year in voting conducted by the conference’s head coaches.

Smith is the third straight IUP player to earn Rookie of the Year honors, following Graham Hill in 2005 and Aaron Williams last spring.  Joseph was honored by his peers for the seventh time in his 15 seasons at the helm, including three of the past four years.

Smith, from Stirling, Scotland, had a 75.75 stroke average over the fall and spring seasons.  He had two of his top efforts at the PSAC tournament in October and the NCAA East Region tournament earlier this month. 

At the PSAC tournament, Smith finished in a tie for sixth with a two-day score of 150 and at the region tournament he tied for third with a three-round total of 223, aided by a 72 that matched the best round of the final day of the tournament.  At both the PSAC and East Region events, Smith finished tied with fellow IUP first year player Nic Milito.

Including his finishes at the conference and regional tournaments, Smith placed in the top 10 at six of the 10 events in which he competed, including third at the Ohio Valley Invitational and sixth at the Lonnie Barton and West Virginia Wesleyan tournaments.

Joseph led the Crimson Hawks to narrow second place finishes at the PSAC tournament, two shots behind West Chester, and the East Region tournament, falling just three shy of Fairmont State for a trip to nationals.  IUP led the region tournament for most of the final round before the Falcons rallied.

IUP won three tournament titles in 2006-07, taking first place at the Ohio Valley, Lonnie Barton and Goldey-Beacom events while finishing in the top three in nine of 11 tournaments overall. 

Joseph was also named the PSAC Coach of the Year in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005.  He has taken IUP to the region tournament each of the past 11 years, winning the championship in 2005 and finishing as runners-up five times. 

Under Joseph’s direction, IUP has won six PSAC titles, including five in a row from 1997 to 2001, and earned five trips to nationals, most recently in 2005, and placed as high as 12^th in the nation in 1993.