Courtesy of Rob Bentley, Ferris State Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications
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BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- Standout golfer Ben Cook (Caledonia/Grand Rapids South Christian) of the Ferris State University men's golf team wrapped up one of the most impressive individual seasons in school history by officially being named to the 2015 Division II Ping All-America Team.
Cook, who was previously named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Golfer of the Year, was among 22 golfers named to the honorable mention All-America squad as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).
A junior this past year, he was the lone golfer from the GLIAC named to any of the All-America teams, including the first, second, third and honorable mention squads.
"Ben Cook is the epitome of what it means to be an All-American," said FSU head coach Mike Mignano. "Not only is he a tremendous golfer, but Ben is also a great person and conscientious student. He truly deserves all of the accolades he earned this season and it will go down as one of the best individual performances in program history, if not the best.
"Ben has worked extremely hard to get to this level and he continues to strive for more every day," he added. "We are all so proud of this accomplishment and what he has done for Ferris State Golf."
The selection of Cook represents the 11th time in which a Ferris State men's golf student-athlete has attained All-America status and the first since former standout Eric Lilleboe in 2010.
Earlier this summer, Cook was tabbed to the 2015 Division II PING All-Midwest Region Team. He had his best season on the collegiate level to date for the Bulldogs in the 2014-15 campaign. The three-year letterwinner placed among the top 10 performers in tournament action in nine of FSU's 11 regular-season competitions this season, including five of six outings this spring.
This year, Cook twice earned medalist honors in tournament action and also claimed runner-up laurels on two other occasions. Overall, the FSU standout recorded eight top-five finishes in the 2014-15 campaign. His performance helped the Bulldogs to their 13th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. He's also been an All-America Scholar for FSU.
Along with earning the GLIAC Golfer of the Year honor, Cook was also named to the All-GLIAC First Team. He claimed all-league laurels for the first time in his collegiate career this season. By earning the league's top honor, Cook became the first FSU golfer to receive the GLIAC Men's Golfer of the Year honor since Lilleboe in 2009-10.
Cook also recently placed tied for 10th overall in the 2015 Michigan Open Championship presented by LaFontaine Cadillac, which took place in June at Prestwick Village Golf Club.
This past season, the Bulldogs placed 16th overall in the 2015 NCAA Midwest/Central Super Regional in the program's 13th-straight NCAA appearance. Ferris State's current 13-year NCAA Championship appearance streak in men's golf ranks as one of the longest active stretches in the country.
