NORMAN, Okla. – The Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced its annual academic awards this past week.  The Valdosta State men's golf team was well represented as sophomore Joshua Burki, junior Brandon Cho and sophomore Ty Folsom earned Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar honors.  As a team, the Blazers also excelled in the classroom earning GCAA All-Academic honors.

To be eligible for the Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their Associate's Degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA.  In addition, they must participate in 50 percent of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 79.0 NCAA Division II and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

Along with the Blazer trio, West Florida, West Georgia were the only other Gulf South Conference men's golf programs to have student athletes honored. 

227 NCAA Division II athletes from 77 schools earned 2023-24 Cobalt All-America Scholar honors. Missouri S&T had six recipients, tied with Georgia Southern, Mercer, Texas Tech, Yale (NCAA Division I), Trine (NCAA Division III), and Texas Wesleyan (NAIA) for the most recipients from one school across all six divisions in 2023-24. Nine NCAA Division II schools had at least five recipients, including Lincoln Memorial (5), Maryville (5), Missouri S&T (6), Newberry (5), Parkside (5), Saint Leo (5), SWOSU (5), Tiffin (5), and Wingate (5).

In addition, the GCAA announced its team academic award and was one of 25 Division II institutions to earn the honor and one of three from the GSC (West Florida and West Georgia) to be honored.  

Burki, Cho, Folsom and the Blazers are set to begin the 2024-25 season on Sept. 8-10, in Lakewood, Colo., at the Writz at Mile High tournament.