The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50% (Division I) or 66% (Division II & III) of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

 

Dale, a junior Biology major from Peachtree City, Georgia, was also an All-SCAC Women's Golf Second Team selection for her efforts on the course this season that included a season-best second place finish at The Orchard Fall Invitational.

On Sunday, head coach Jim Owen told the story of the championship run in an Atlanta Journal sports feature penned by Darryl Maxie. To read the article, go here.
 
The most recent issue of Golf Georgia magazine also devotes an entire page to the Stormy Petrel championship including a photo of the team hoisting the title trophy. To view the Golf Georgia article, go here and use the arrows to navigate to page 32.

Details of the contract have yet to be released but, with his signing, Sarisky has forgone his amateur status and will now begin to pursue a big league career.
 
"This is a huge accomplishment for Daniel and the beginning of a new challenge," said Petrel head baseball coach Dan Giordano. "We are extremely excited for him and wish him the best as he pursues a career in professional baseball. He is fulfilling every boy’s dream to play baseball for a living."
 
Set to begin his professional baseball career in the minors, Sarisky will try to become the tenth former Petrel baseball player to play for a Major League Baseball team. The most famous Petrel to play ball at the highest level was another sophomore who left the campus early to pursue a big league career, Hall of Famer Luke Appling. Appling was signed by the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 and went on to play twenty big league seasons for the Chicago White Sox, compiling a career .310 batting average. Appling was inducted to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
 
The other former Petrels to play Major League Baseball - with their last year on campus in parentheses - are Al Wingo (1918), Lucas Turk (1921), Ron Carlyle (1921), Dave Barbee (1926), Jay Partridge (1925), Greek George (1933), Harry Dean (1941) and Phil McCullough (1938).

Sarisky, a sophomore from Duluth, Georgia, was dominant on the mound this season for Oglethorpe. In 15 appearances, Sarisky compiled a 5-1 record with a sparkling 2.68 ERA. Additionally, Sarisky struck out a ridiculous 65 batters in only 40.1 innings while walking only 14 opponents. Sarisky was named as an All-SCAC First Team pitcher and an American Baseball Coaches Association award winner for his stellar work on the mound this season.
 
Sarisky is just the sixth player in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference history (founded in 1991) to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Previous selections from the SCAC are Millsaps' Peter Austin (1997, 40th round by Pittsburgh), Trinity's Jason Armstrong (2004, 20th round by Toronto), Millsaps' Garner Wetzel (2005, 10th round by Colorado), Trinity's Nick Vera (2007, 32nd round by St. Louis) and Trinity's Evan Bronson (2008, 36th round by Milwaukee). After returning to their respective schools, Wetzel was drafted again by San Diego in the 2006 18th round and Bronson was re-drafted by Washington in the 2009 29th round.
 
If he signs with Houston, Sarisky, a sophomore eligibility-wise, will be trying to become the tenth former Petrel baseball player to play for a Major League Baseball team. The most famous Petrel to play ball at the highest level was another sophomore who left the campus early to pursue a big league career, Hall of Famer Luke Appling. Appling was signed by the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 and went on to play twenty big league seasons for the Chicago White Sox, compiling a career .310 batting average. Appling was inducted to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
 
The other former Petrels to play Major League Baseball with their last year on campus in parentheses are Al Wingo (1918), Lucas Turk (1921), Ron Carlyle (1921), Dave Barbee (1926), Jay Partridge (1925), Greek George (1933), Harry Dean (1941) and Phil McCullough (1938).
 

 

Sarisky, a sophomore from Duluth, Georgia, was dominant on the mound this season for Oglethorpe and was named to the 2009 ABCA All-South Region Team for his efforts. In 15 appearances, Sarisky compiled a 5-1 record with a sparkling 2.68 ERA. Additionally, Sarisky struck out a ridiculous 65 batters in only 40.1 innings while walking only 14 opponents. Sarisky was named as an All-SCAC First Team pitcher for his sparkling work on the mound this season.
 
Rizzo, a sophomore from Coral Springs, Florida, started all 36 games this year for the Petrels and was named a 2009 South Region Rawlings Gold Glove recipient for his outstanding glove-work at third base this year. Rizzo compiled a .923 fielding percentage in 2009, committing only nine errors in 117 chances at third base. Additionally, he was at the top of several team offensive categories including 2nd in batting average (.362), 3rd in RBI and tied for first in extra base hits (16). Rizzo made the All-SCAC First Team as a third baseman for his efforts.

The Petrels won their league-high eighth SCAC men’s golf title at this year’s conference tournament at Tunica, Miss., and went on win the 2009 NCAA Division III men’s championships – the school’s first-ever NCAA championship in any sport and the program’s eighth consecutive Top 10 finish at the national championships. With his 10 men’s golf COTY awards, Owen joins an exclusive list of SCAC coaches (Paul McGinlay, Trinity – men’s soccer and Steve Mohr, Trinity – football) who have won 10 COTY honors in the same sport.

The piece will focus on the yearly successes of Oglethorpe's men's golf program under the guidance of head coach Jim Owen. The segment will also highlight Petrel sophomore Olafur Loftsson from Reyjakavik, Iceland and how he's brought his golf game to America.
 
The show will re-air on Friday, May 22 at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU. For a complete listing of air times and a description of the show, go here.

Olafur Loftsson (Reykjavik, Iceland), who brought home the Arnold Palmer Award for the 2009 NCAA Championship medalist, was selected as a 2009 Division III Ping First- Team All-America for the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels.

Oglethorpe freshman Colin Chapman (Franklin, North Carolina), who posted a tied for 11^th place finish at the 2009 Championships, was selected as a 2009 Division III Ping Second-Team All-America. Joining Chapman on the Ping Second-Team All-America squad was Petrel junior Scott Pugh (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) who finished in a tie for 15^th place at the Championships.

Oglethorpe chased down Methodist University, the 54-hole leader, and held off a charging University of La Verne to earn the Championship win. The Petrels finished with a four day total of 12-over par 1164 to best La Verne who came in at 16-over par 1168.

Oglethorpe sophomore Olafur Loftsson (Reyjakvic, Iceland)  fired a final round 3-under par 69 to come from behind to win individual medalist honors at the Championship. Loftsson finished in a tie with La Verne’s Mitchell Fedorka and bested him on the first playoff hole to win the Arnold Palmer award for tournament medalist. For the four day tournament, Loftsson finished with a score of 285, good for 3-under par.

Stormy Petrel freshman Colin Chapman (Franklin, North Carolina) fired a final round of 1-under par and finished in a tie for 11^th place overall. Oglethorpe junior Scott Pugh (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) carded a tournament total of 296 (8-over) to finish in a tie for 15^th place while senior Hap Kaufold (Albany, Georgia) came home with a total of 298 to finish tied for 27^th place. Freshman Matt Bernstein (Atlanta, Georgia) carded a four day total of 305 and finished tied for 51^st.

Oglethorpe head golf coach Jim Owen, a fifteen year veteran coaching the team, said, “This is a great day for Oglethorpe athletics. I could not be more proud of our guys for bringing home the school’s first championship. They certainly earned it with their stellar play on the course.”

For the second straight day Oglethorpe recorded the second best round of the afternoon among all teams with only Methodist scoring lower than the Petrels, and that by just one stroke. The Petrels are now +11 for the Championship, trailing +7 Methodist and leading +13 La Verne heading into tomorrow's decisive final round.
 
Oglethorpe was lifted by the sparkling play of sophomore Olafur Loftsson who carded a 4-under 68 to move back to even par for the Championships and into a tie for 5th place overall. Junior Scott Pugh shot a 5-over 77 and is now in a tie for 20th place while freshman Colin Chapman shot a 1-over 73 to move into a tie for 34th.
 
Senior Hap Kaufold continued his steady play on the Dye course by posting a 2-over 74 to find himself in a tie for 42nd place and freshman Matt Bernstein was seven strokes better than his first appearance on the Dye course en route to posting a 3-over 75 that puts him in a tie for 53rd individually.
 
The Petrels will tee off in the final wave tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 p.m. with an excellent opportunity to win Oglethorpe's first-ever National Championship in any sport. Follow the live updating leaderboard here on Golfstat.

Oglethorpe made their move on the more forgiving Ryder course by posting a team 4-under par 284. Only one other squad in the 36 team field shot under par today and that belonged to new tournament leader La Verne who posted a 283.
 
Methodist, the tournament leader after Round One, found the going tougher on the Dye course en route to carding a team 15-over par 303. The Monarchs are now seven strokes off the pace set by LaVerne with Oglethorpe checking in at only ten strokes back.
 
Freshmen Colin Chapman and Matt Bernstein helped rally the team into excellent position heading into the weekend by each going under par on Day Two of the Championships. Chapman cruised around the Ryder Course in 2-under 70 fashion while Bernstein recorded a 1-under 70 on the afternoon. After each starting the day in a tie for 125th place, Chapman jumped all the way into a tie for 50th place and Bernstein into a tie for 60th overall.
 
Junior Scott Pugh, the newly minted SCAC Player-of-the-Year, continued his torrid play by carding a 2-under round of 70 that puts him in a tie for 4th place individually. Sophomore Olafur Loftsson played the back nine in one under on his way to recording a round of 73 which puts him in a tie for 29th place. Senior Hap Kaufold posted a 78 on the afternoon and is now in a tie for 50th place.
 
The Petrels will tee off Round Three on the Dye Course tomorrow morning. As of this posting, tee times had yet to be announced. To follow Round Three live, visit Golfstat here.