Florida Southern's Coultas Awarded 2015-16 SSC Male Athlete of the Year Honors
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Florida Southern College golfer John Coultas is named Sunshine State Conference Male Athlete of the Year. With his selection as the 2015-16 SSC Male Athlete of the Year, Coultas becomes the seventh-straight Moccasin to win the award and 17th overall.
Coultas was chosen for the award in a vote conducted among SSC Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Athletic Communication Directors, and Faculty Athletic Representatives from each of the nine member institutions.
With the play of Coultas, Florida Southern capped 2016 as semifinalists at the NCAA Division II National Championship following Medal/Match Play. Individually, Coultas’ finished fourth with a score of 207, leading FSC to a third place team finish in stroke play.
Shortly after the season concluded for FSC, the sophomore was honored as the NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year. He also earned Florida Southern Male Athlete of the Year (Hal Smeltzly Award), SSC Men's Golfer of the Year, PING First-Team All-South Region, PING First-Team All-American, and NCAA All-Tournament Team accolades.
Coultas won two tournaments in 2015-16. He took medalist honors at the Guy Harvey Invitational by three strokes over the field and then won the First Federal Southeastern Collegiate in playoff fashion. Additionally, he finished Top-5 in six tournaments and was Top-14 in 10 of 11 events.
The Valrico, Florida native posted an adjusted scoring average of 70.95 for the year. An average that ranked No. 2 in Division II and was is second best in program history. In 23 rounds this season, Coultas scored par or better and on twelve different occasions he scored in the 60’s. His season-low was a 65 during the second round of the Saint Leo Invitational.
Coultas joins Tim Crouch (2012-13, 2013-14), Matt Stauch (2009-10), Steve Sokol (2000-01), Jeff Klauk (1999-00), and John Curley (1995-96) on the list of Moccasins golfers to win the award. The last five Moccasins to win SSC Golfer of the Year honors have each been named SSC Male Athlete of the Year*.
*John Coultas, 2016; Matt Stauch, 2010; Steve Sokol, 2001; Jeff Klauk, 2000; and John Curley, 1996
Complete Listing: SSC Athletes of the Year