Three Named PING All-America, as Jason Li Garners Third Straight First Team Honor; Rodgers Tabbed Region Coach of the Year

(NORMAN, Okla.) – For the third straight years, senior Jason Li (Sewickley, Pa./Sewickley Academy) of the Carnegie Mellon University men's golf team was named a Division III PING First Team All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Junior William Knauth (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) was named to the second team while senior Jason Folker (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) also repeated as an All-America receiving honorable mention status for the second straight season. This marks the second consecutive year that the Cardinal and Gray had three golfers receive All-America recognition.

Head Coach Dan Rodgers was also selected as the Golf Pride Grips/GCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. This marks Rodgers' third straight regional honor and fourth overall after receiving the same accolade following the 2017 campaign.

The trio were named to the PING Mid-Atlantic Region team and the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men's Golf Team after the Tartans finished fourth at the 2021 NCAA Championships, the highest in program history. Li and Knauth were also selected last week to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) At-Large Academic All-District team.

Li, a two-time finalist for the NCAA Division III Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award and UAA Golfer of the Year, finished the season with a team-best average round of 72.1 through 14 rounds. In seven of his 14 rounds, the senior shot even-par or lower. Li has recorded three top three-finishes this season and claimed his first collegiate individual medalist honors after carding a two-under par 214 at the 54-hole Golfweek Spring Invitational. He placed eighth at the NCAA Championships after carding the second lowest 72-hole score in program history of 291.

The teams second lowest individual average came from Knauth with a 73.5 over 14 rounds. In five of his round he carded even-par or lower and recorded a collegiate-best round of five-under par 67 during the opening round of the Jekyll Island Invitational which tied the second best 18-hole round in program history. The junior recorded the fourth best 72-hole program score of 298 at the NCAA Championships to place 28th overall.

Folker finished tied for third on the team with an average of 76.1 in 14 rounds of play. The senior led the Tartans at the NCAA Championships with a 72-hole school record score of 290 which placed seventh. Folker won the Wynlakes Intercollegiate with a six-under 138, the second lowest 36-hole score in program history. In the closing round of the event, Folker tied his collegiate-best round of five-under par 67 which is also the second best 18-hole round for a Tartan.