NORMAN, Okla. – The Webster University Men's Golf team was one of only eight NCAA Division III programs to earn both an All-Academic Team honor as well as the prestigious President's Special Recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) that were announced by the association on Wednesday.
 
In order to earn an All-Academic Team honor, a men's golf team is required to have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, while in order to earn the President's Special Recognition Award, a team needs to have a 3.5 or better cumulative GPA. 
 
The Gorloks, who posted a team GPA of 3.55 during the 2018-19 school year, was the only school from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honored by the GCAA and one of only six schools from the state of Missouri to earn a Team Academic Award from the GCAA and one of three schools from the Show-Me-State to earn a President's Special Recognition distinction as the others were Maryville (NCAA Division II) and North Central Missouri (NJCAA Division II).
 
It marks the sixth consecutive season that Webster has received the President's Special Recognition distinction from the GCAA and the eighth consecutive season that the Gorloks have earned a GCAA Team Academic Award. 
 
"Working hard and achieving success at one's sport and academically shows a true commitment for our program to the NCAA III ideals," Webster head men's golf coach Andrew Belsky said. "A high bar has been set over the last six years by the team, and we have a goal every year of maintaining that high standard of performance on the course and in the classroom."
 
Joining Webster from Division III on the President's Special Recognition List in 2018-19 were Augsburg (Minn.), Edgewood (Wis.), Kalamazoo (Mich.), Swarthmore (Pa.), Texas-Dallas, Wabash (Ind.) and Washington & Lee (Va.). In fact, like Webster, Kalamazoo, Swarthmore, Texas-Dallas, Wabash and Washington & Lee were also recognized last year with a President's Special Recognition.
 
The GCAA also recognized the 2018-19 Academic National Champions from each division as this year's honorees were New Mexico (Division I), Newberry (Division II), Augsburg (Division III), SCAD-Atlanta (NAIA), Dodge City CC (NJCAA Division I) and North Central Missouri (NJCAA Division II). The overall Academic National Champion for 2018-19 was Newberry as they finished with a 3.84 team GPA.
 
Webster was one of 32 schools from all divisions to earn a President's Special Recognition status for having a team GPA of 3.5 or better. In addition, the Gorloks were one of 29 Division III schools to receive a GCAA Team Academic Award.