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JR

The 2002 Division III National Coach of the Year is Jack Jensen of Guilford College. Jensen led the Quakers to their first Division III national championship in men's golf last week. Jensen's squad won the title by six strokes over neighboring Greensboro (N.C.) College. The 2002 championship is Jensen's third national title as a coach. He guided the Quakers to the 1989 NAIA title in men's golf and the 1973 NAIA men's basketball championship.

Awarded to the medalist at the NCAA Championships, the 2002 Arnold Palmer Award recipient is Chris Noll of Wesley College. Noll posted scores of 69-74-74-76=293 in route to finishing first at the Division III national championship. Noll's national title is the first of any kind in any sport for Wesley College.

In addition to receiving the Palmer Award, Noll was also named Division III Player of the Year by the GCAA All-America Committee. A transfer from Florida Southern College (Division II), Noll finished in the top-10 in all eight collegiate tournaments this season, including six victories. Noll was named Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Player of the Week twice during the 2002 season, and also earned first team All-Conference and PING All-America honors.

Mike Townsend of Methodist College (Fayetteville, N.C.) is the 2002 Softspikes Freshman of the Year. Townsend's outstanding play during his first season of competitive college golf earned him additional honors, including being named 2002 Dixie Conference Rookie of the Year and third team PING All-America.

The Garner, N.C. native placed in the top-10 three times this season, including a sixth place finish at the East Carolina University Fall Intercollegiate, in a 16-team (predominately Division I) field. Townsend carded a career competitive low score of 69 in two rounds at the ECU Fall Intercollegiate.

The 2002 Division III PING All-America teams have been selected, and are listed below.

2002 Division III PING All-America First Team
Kevin Angle, Greensboro College
Andrew Biggadike, Guilford College
Adam Lescalleet, Muskingum College
Chris Noll, Wesley College
Kevin O'Connell, Greensboro College
Dave Patterson, Guilford College
Joey Pohle, Skidmore College

2002 Division III PING All-America Second Team
Clint Colbert, Savannah College of Art & Design
Gregg Hanna, Methodist College
Toni Karjalainen, Averett College
Sammy Schmitz, St. John's University (Minn.)
Tim White, Central College (Iowa)

2002 Division III PING All-America Third Team
Jordan Bailey, University of Redlands
Mark Christensen, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dave Easley, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Neil Johnson, Gustavus Adolphus College
Savio Nazareth, Guilford College
Mike Townsend, Methodist College

2002 Division III PING All-America Honorable Mention
Ryan Dorff, Otterbein College
Jeff Dunn, Linfield College
John Fischer, Claremont-McKenna-Mudd-Scripps
Ryan Franks, Susquehanna University
Wes Harman, Otterbein College
A.J. Hoffman, Gustavus Adolphus College
Adam Holowczcak, Greensboro College
Avi Khitri, Claremont-McKenna-Mudd-Scripps
Ryan Lescalleet, Muskingum College
Joey Murray, University of La Verne
Scott Peterson, Augustana College
John Pezdak, St. Lawrence University
Nathan Proshek, St. John's University (Minn.)
Ben Rathfon, Allegheny College
Will Sicks, Williams College
Chris Summers, Oglethorpe University