HAMMOND, La. — After posting the league’s lowest batting average, Southeastern Louisiana University sophomore Charlie Forster was named Southland Conference Player of the Year in an announcement by the league office Thursday.
Forster, a native of Winchester, England, is the sixth South East player to be named Southland Conference Player of the Year, after former Lions Grant White (1998), Jacques Chevalier (2000), Cedric Scotto (2009), Alvaro Arizabaleta ( 2010) and Philipp Westermann (2012).
Forster finished second at the Southland Conference Championships last week and had six top-10 finishes in the 2022-23 season.
Forster finished the season averaging conference low 71.48 strokes and carded 13 rounds under par. The September 2022 Southland Conference Golfer of the Month won the Derek Dolenc Invitational individual medalist and hit a season-low round of 64 to beat the Colin Montgomerie Invitational to open in March.
First-year head coach Lawrence Allan, who was a twice All-Southland player himself during his playing days with SLU, was delighted that his top player received the well-deserved honor.
“Charlie deserved to be named Southland Conference Player of the Year,” Allan commented. “He’s been a fantastic player for us all season. He had one win that year and could easily have won a few other tournaments. Charlie deserves this recognition and we are proud of this honor.”
Forster was joined on the All-SLC First Team by SLC Tournament individual medalist and Freshman of the Year Stefan Jacobs of Augusta, as well as Behn Heyns of Augusta, Braxton Kuntz of Nicholls, and Carl Hardin of Lamar.
The second team consisted of Grant Sellers from Francis Marion, Joe Buenfeld from UIW, Hugo Hellman from Lamar, Ryan Fulton from New Orleans and Ryan O’Neil from Nicholls.
UIW’s Angel Guerra was named conference newcomer of the year, while Augusta’s Steven Paine was named SLC Coach of the Year after leading his team to the conference tournament championship last week.
All-Southland Conference golf teams were selected by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Coaches and SIDs were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
2022-23 All-Southland Conference teams and individual superlatives
Player of the Year: Charlie Forster, Southeastern
Newcomer of the year: Stefan Jacobs, Augusta
Newcomer of the Year: Angel Guerra, UIW
Coach of the Year: Steven Paine, Augusta
First team
name | school | Year. | hometown
Charlie Forester | Southeast | Sun | Winchester, England
Stephen Jacobs | Augusta | Fr | Johannesburg, South Africa
Behn Heyns | Augusta | Fr | Pretoria, South Africa
Braxton Kuntz | Nichols | Sun | Winnipeg, Canada
Karl Hardin | Lamar | Jr | Loddekopinge, Sweden
second team
name | school | Year. | hometown
Grant Sellers | Franz Marion | Sr. | McBee, SC
Joe Buenfeld | UIW | Sun | Southampton, England
Hugo Hellman | Lamar | GR. | Salem, Sweden
Ryan Fulton | New Orleans | Jr | Crowley, La.
Ryan O’Neil | Nichols | Sr. | Charlotte, NC
