May 23, 2012

Greg Kitts captures Gilbert Darcy Most Valuable Player Award

Sophomore Greg Kitts, who played the most rounds and tied for the lbest average on the Tennessee Tech men's golf team, is the recipient of the Gilbert Darcy Most Valuable Player Award for 2011-12.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sophomore Greg Kitts, who played the most rounds and tied for the lowest season stroke average on the Tennessee Tech men's golf team, is the recipient of the Gilbert Darcy Most Valuable Player Award and also captured the team's Most Dedicated Player Award. The 2011-12 team awards were announced this week by head coach Polk Brown.

The MVP award is named to honor the father of former TTU golf captain Randy Darcy.

A three-year member of the squad from Caryville, Tenn., Kitts played in all 11 tournaments during the year, shooting 32 rounds competition and maintained a 74.8 stroke average. He carded nine rounds under par, and posted three Top 10 finishes and five in the Top 20. After sitting out the 2009-10 season as a redshirt, Kitts won the Most Improved Player Award last year as a freshman.

Kitts' top finish of the year came at the Hummingbird Invitational in the fall season where he went two-under par and placed sixth individually. Two weeks before that, he scored his lowest round and tournament score of the year when he shot a second-round 67, and wound up at three-under par at the APSU F&M Bank Intercollegiate to place 15^th.

"Greg is an extra hard worker with a wonderful attitude," said Brown. "He is everything we're looking for in a student-athlete. He's a great kid to coach, his attitude is awesome, he does well in the classroom and his work ethic is amazing."

The team's Most Improved Player Award went to Mason Griffin, a sophomore from Kingston, Tenn. Griffin, like Kitts, played 32 rounds while seeing action in all 11 tournaments. He was third on the team in average with a 75.8 mark. Griffin's low round of the season was a 68 at the F&M Bank Invitational where he placed 10^th, his highest finish of the year. In addition to that Top 10 finish, he also had two Top 20 efforts.

The Impact Awardw went to Lee Maxwell, a junior from Cookeville. Maxwell had a low round of 69 and was fourth on the team in average at 76.2. He had four Top 20 finishes while playing all 32 rounds in 11 tourneys. Additionally, Maxwell won the Best Putter Award for the third consecutive year.

Travis Ramsey, a senior from Grimsley, Tenn., won the Long Hitter Award for the second consecutive year.

Brown also announced that seniors Tyler Cassetty and Travis Ramsey were named as permanent team captains for the 2011-12 season.

Cassetty tied for the team's low average at 74.8. Despite missing three tournaments due to an injury, he posted two of the best individual finishes of the year with a third-place showing at the Murray State Invitaational and a fourth-place finish at the UT Martin Skyhawk Classic. Ramsey's two best tournaments each netted a 21^st place individual finish, coming at the Grover Page Classic and the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate, both during the spring season. Ramsey played in all 11 events with 32 round and finished with a 77.5 average.