NORMAN, Okla. – The University of South Alabama men's golf team was honored for its work in the classroom last season when the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Wednesday that the Jaguars were once again named by the organization an All-Academic Team.

It's the ninth straight season South has qualified for the award, which requires schools to have each student-athlete on its official squad list for the academic year record a combined 3.0 grade-point average or higher.  Seven of 11 individuals on the Jags' 2016-17 roster posted a GPA above 3.0 over the last two semesters to help USA finish with a 3.20 mark as a team.

Peter Staalbo paced the group with a 3.92 grade-point average last season, which was one-hundredth of a point higher than Stephen Wall.  Second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection Rasmus Karlsson and Jason Mendel both had GPAs higher than a 3.5 last year, while Matt Sheehan and freshmen Spencer Arnold and Yannick Schütz ended up with marks better than 3.0.

In addition, Sheehan, Drew Cooke and Ally Purdy all earned their undergraduate degrees from South last year.

Under the direction of Alex Hamilton, the Jaguars placed in the top 10 at all but one tournament during the 2016-17 campaign, recording four top-five finishes highlighted by a victory at the Southern Collegiate Match Play in April.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Birdie Club — the men's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Birdie Club go directly to support the South Alabama men's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/birdieclub.

—USA—