April 28, 2016
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State junior Nahum Mendoza III (San Diego, Calif.) was named 2016 Mountain West Men's Golfer of the Year in a vote of the conference's 11 head coaches as announced Thursday by the league office.
With his award, Mendoza becomes the fifth Aztec player to capture MW Golfer of the Year honors, joining J.J. Spaun (2012), Aaron Goldberg (2008), Jon Lieber (2002) and Lars Johansson (2001).
In addition, Mendoza earned a spot on the 10-player all-conference team, along with SDSU seniors Riccardo Michelini (Carpi, Italy) and Ryann Ree (Redondo Beach, Calif.). The selections give the Aztecs three all-MW honorees for the third year in a row.
Mendoza is currently ranked 13th in the nation according to Golfstat and is listed 14th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. The Francis Parker High alum leads the league with a team-best 70.48 scoring average and tops the squad with 18 rounds below par, including 10 in the 60s. He has recorded seven top-10 placements on the year, including four in the top five.
Mendoza, who was named to the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup earlier this month, is coming off a stellar performance last weekend at the Mountain West Championship in Tucson, Ariz., where he tied for third on the individual leaderboard with a collective 6-under 210, highlighted by a final-round 67.
At the Southwestern Jones Invitational on March 1, he matched his best collegiate finish, tying for second place with a combined 7-under 209. Mendoza also fired a season-low 5-under 66 during the second round of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational on April 2 en route to fourth-place tie.
Not to be outdone, Mendoza, who collected his second straight all-conference certificate, was named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2016 Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award on Thursday.
Ree also landed on the all-MW team for the second year in a row after posting seven top-10 finishes during the 2015-16 campaign, including five in the top-five. The Redondo Beach product owns a 71.00 scoring average in 11 tournaments and is ranked 52nd nationally by Golfstat.
In SDSU's spring opener last February, The Prestige at PGA West, Ree recorded his highest placement as a collegian, finishing alone in the runner-up spot after shooting a 10-under 203. He was one of just two players in the elite field of 81 golfers to card all three rounds in the 60s (68-66-69 and topped 15 players ranked in the Golfstat top 100. For his efforts, Ree was named MW Men's Golfer of the Week for the first time in his career.
Ree also tied with Mendoza for fourth place at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational on April 3 and fired a personal-best 13-under 199 at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational last fall to finish in the fifth position.
Michelini, meanwhile, became the just the fourth Aztec player to garner all-Mountain West accolades on three occasions, joining Spaun (2010-12), Goldberg (2006-08) and Mark Warman (2002-04). The conference's freshman of the year in 2013, Michelini currently sports a 71.24 scoring average and is one of two SDSU golfers, along with Ree, to appear in all 11 events this season.
Michelini, who is ranked 56th by Golfstat, has logged six top-10 placements this year, highlighted by a fifth-place showing at the Aztecs' own Barona Collegiate Cup where he shot a 4-under 212 to help the Scarlet and Black capture the team title on March 22. He also contributed to SDSU's other tournament victory after tying for ninth at the season-opening Saint Mary's Invitational at Pebble Beach last September and shot a career-best 13-under 200 the following month at the Alister MacKenzie Invite.
No. 22 San Diego State is expected to make its school-record 18th consecutive postseason appearance next month after NCAA regional bids are announced on Thursday, May 5.
2015-16 Mountain West Men's Golf Honors
Golfer of the Year
Nahum Mendoza III, San Diego State
Freshman of the Year
Harry Hall, UNLV
Coach of the Year
Joe Jensen, Wyoming
All-MW Team
Nahum Mendoza III, San Diego State
Riccardo Michelini, San Diego State
Ryann Ree, San Diego State
Trevor Clayton, Fresno State
Andrej Bevins, New Mexico
Gustavo Morantes, New Mexico
Shintaro Ban, UNLV
Harry Hall, UNLV
Jon Oda, UNLV
Zach Thomas, UNLV