The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Jason Shufflebotham Tabbed Second-Team All-Conference USA
5/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 3, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB junior golfer Jason Shufflebotham was tabbed as a second-team All-Conference USA performer by a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, announced the conference office on Tuesday. Shufflebotham garners his first-ever postseason award, while he becomes the first Blazer to earn all-conference accolades since former great Zack Sucher was named to the first team during the 2008-09 campaign.
"This is a terrific honor for Jason," UAB head coach Alan Kaufman said. "Jason has had a great year for us and has probably been our most consistent golfer. He has put in a lot of work and I am glad to see his efforts have been recognized by the head coaches from around the league. He should be proud of earning this award."
Rice senior Michael Whitehead was named the 2011 C-USA Golfer of the Year, Houston sophomore Will Dusenbury was chosen the Newcomer of the Year, and UCF's Bryce Wallor and Greg Eason were named the Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
Shufflebotham, a native of Presatyn, Wales, was the Blazers' top individual finisher in eight of UAB's 12 tournaments this season. He led the Blazers in stroke average on the season at 73.13, while posting eight top-25 finishes and a pair of top-10 results - a career-best second place finish at the Ocean Course Intercollegiate and a seventh-place finish at the Duck Invitational.
"This is the strongest Conference USA has been in terms of the talent of teams from top to bottom," Kaufman continued. "There are a lot of good golfers in this league. I think Jason will have an opportunity to be considered for one of the at-large spots in the upcoming NCAA Regionals."
A total of six NCAA Regionals will be played, with the field to be announced on a conference call on May 9 at 5 p.m. CT. The NCAA Men's Golf Committee will also select 45 individual golfers who will be split up among the six regional sites - three of which will get 10 individuals with the other three getting five.
2011 C-USA MEN'S GOLF AWARDS
Golfer of the Year
Michael Whitehead, Rice
Freshman of the Year
Greg Eason, UCF
Newcomer of the Year
Will Dusenbury, Houston
Coach of the Year
Bryce Wallor, UCF
All-Conference USA First Team
Connor Arendell, UCF
Jonathan Fly, Memphis
Kelly Kraft, SMU
Harold Varner, East Carolina
David Watkins, East Carolina
Michael Whitehead, Rice
All-Conference USA Second Team
Jack Belote, Memphis
Greg Eason, UCF
Derek Plucienski, Southern Miss
Jason Shufflebotham, UAB
Chris Worrell, Tulsa
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Greg Eason, UCF
Grant Milner, Memphis
Curtis Reed, Houston
Johannes Veerman, Tulsa
Jeff Wibawa, Rice
