ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A resurgent season for Clayton State men's golf has led to a pair of impressive honors on the eve of the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Championship as Hank Kim has been named the league's Co-Coach of the Year while senior Andres Caballero (Mexico City, Mexico) has been named to the All-PBC Second-Team as announced at the league's annual banquet on Thursday, April 18.

Kim becomes just the second Laker in program history to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Clayton State Athletics Hall of Famer Bob Hill who claimed the honor in 2005. This year he has led his team to the cusp of a national ranking, just two spots out of the Bushnell Golfweek Division II National Poll, following four top five finishes in eight tournaments.
 
Those have included a 2-of-22 finish at the Bearcat Classic (3/26) in which they finished ahead of No. 7 Young Harris, third place at the UNG Fall Invitational (10/2), fourth at the Hurricane Invitational (2/26) and fifth at the Matt Dyas Invitational (10/23).
 
Those performances have included a program record tying round of 64 by junior Nick Woof (Leighton Buzzard, England) at UNG, a performance that led him to a team record eight-under par and a tie for second out of 49 golfers. It also resulted in the first PBC Men's Golfer of the Week honor for Woof.
 
As a team the Lakers are second in the conference with a 292.10 stroke average and their 13-under 275 third round at UNG represents the lowest round by any league team in 2018-19.
 
Fueling those efforts to a large degree has been Caballero, who collects the first All-Peach Belt Conference honor of his career. This season he leads the team with a 72.54 stroke average, good for fifth in the league.
 
Clayton State's most consistent performer all year, he has notched a pair of top five outings and two Top-10 finishes, including a fourth place tie out of 89 golfers at the Fifth Annual Newberry Invitational (2/19).
 
During that tournament he not only battled the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island but also 54-degree weather and 30-mph gusts that affected putts. Despite that he shot a 71-70-78-219, tied for the best performances on Par 5's and produced landed an albatross (a two on a Par 5), which is considered more elusive than a hole-in-one.
 
Additionally, he tied for fifth out of 75 golfers with a 71-73-70-214 at the Hurricane Invitational (2/26) and was tied for 16^th out of 88 golfers at the Aflac/Cougar Invitational (9/25). The latter featured a field that included eight nationally ranked programs including defending national champion Lynn. Caballero is also one of just two Lakers to play in all eight tournaments this season.
 
With his selection, he delivers the tenth such honor all-time and becomes the seventh different individual to be named All-PBC. Caballero is the first Clayton State golfer to do so since Keith Egan earned his second straight honor in 2017.
 
The Lakers other All-Conference selections include Fredric Lindblom (2014, First-Team), Wade Binfield (2010, Second-Team), Will Wilcox (2008, 2009), Dave Kelly (1999, 2000) and Michael Farley (1998). Lindblom (2014) and Wilcox (2009) were also named Player of the Year. Prior to 2010, the Peach Belt selected just one team of eight individuals.
 
Caballero and Clayton State men's golf return to action tomorrow, Friday, April 19 as they face eight other schools at the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Championship in St. Augustine, Florida.

2019 Peach Belt Conference Men's Golf Regular Season Awards
All-Conference First-Team
Jordan Doull, Columbus State
Vincent Norrman, Georgia Southwestern
Dan Sheehan, USC Aiken
Mauro Baez, Flagler
August Lindvall, USC Aiken
 
All-Conference Second-Team
Andres  Caballero, Clayton State
Anton Karlbom, Young Harris
Austin Mancilla, Georgia College
Juan Iturra, Flagler
Valter Andersson, Young Harris
 
Freshmen of the Year
Cameron Kellett, Young Harris
 
Player of the Year
Jordan Doull, Columbus State
 
Co-Coach of the Year
Caleb Kelley, Young Harris
Hank  Kim, Clayton State


All-Time Clayton State All-Conference Selections (10 Overall, Seven Different Individuals)
2019
Andres Caballero (Second-Team)
 
2017
Keith Egan (First-Team)
 
2016
Keith Egan (Second-Team)
 
2014
Fredrik Lindblom (First-Team)*
 
2010
Wade Binfield (Second-Team)
 
2009
Will Wilcox*
 
2008
Will Wilcox
 
2000
Dave Kelly
 
1999
Dave Kelly
 
1998
Michael Farley
*Player of the Year
 
NOTE
PBC began awarding multiple teams in 2010. Prior to that, one team of eight individuals was selected.
 
All-Time Clayton State Coach of the Year Selections (Two Overall, Two Individuals)
2019
Hank Kim (Co-Coach)
 
2005
Bob Hill