ERIE, Pa. – Gannon's
Cameron Zbrzeznj (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) has been named 2012-13 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men's Golf Freshman of the Year. In addition, he was named to the all-conference second team.
Zbrzeznj is the third men's golf student-athlete in school history to be named a conference freshman of the year and the first since Mitch Molen was selected the 2007 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year. Dave Patronik was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2003.
The Erie, Pa., native produced a tremendous first year on the collegiate links, averaging 75.9 strokes through 24.5 rounds. Zbrzeznj placed among the top 10 seven times in 12 events, including three top-five finishes.
Zbrzeznj narrowly missed an opportunity to become Gannon's first national qualifier since 2011 with a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional. The freshman fell three strokes shy of a berth in the national championship after holding one of the berths and sitting in fourth place after the second round.
The 2012-13 campaign was highlighted with a pair of 71's during the first round of the Hal Hansen Invitational and the second round of the Mercyhurst Fall Invitational. Zbrzeznj's best outing was a third-place finish at the season-opening Hal Hansen Invitational. He finished the season strong by finishing fifth at the Mercyhurst Spring Invitational, fourth at the Gannon Spring Invitational and 10th at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional.
Gannon made its first NCAA Regional appearance as a team since 1989 under first-year head coach
Dustin Coleman. The 2013 NCAA Tournament had Gannon representation for the first time since Drew Deimel qualified for the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Regional as an individual in 2010 and 2011. He later advanced to the national championship both seasons.
