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5 Lopes earn awards; Diehl takes WAC Freshman of the Year
5/6/2025 12:04:00 PM | Men's Golf
GCU breaks program record with 6 WAC postseason honors
Grand Canyon's starting five for the upcoming NCAA Reno Regional tournament in Nevada will arrive with the honor of All-WAC award winner.
Those five Lopes starters — freshmen Matthew Diehl and Nixon Lauritzen, graduate Tommaso Zorzetto, senior Kiko Coelho and sophomore Gavin O'Neill — were recognized by conference coaches in the yearly postseason awards, with Diehl highlighting the bunch a WAC Freshman of the Year.
Diehl, Lauritzen and Zorzettto were named to the All-WAC first team, giving GCU a first-team trio for the first time in program history. Coelho and O'Neill claimed All-WAc second-team honors. GCU's six awards marked the most of any single season in program history since joining the WAC in 2013. The Lopes claimed half of the All-WAC first and second teams' 10 spots.
From Redlands, California, Diehl immediately made an impact on the Lopes squad by helping them earn three top-five finishes through their first four fall tournaments.
Diehl's play only grew stronger from there, registering three top-10 finishes and an individual title at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate in Scottsdale in early March.
Diehl's WAC Freshman of the Year honor is the first for GCU since joining Division I in 2013. The "of the year" accolade is the second in as many seasons for the Lopes after Nicky Kling garnered WAC Player of the Year in 2024. In 33 rounds, Diehl averaged 73.4 strokes per round with a season-low score of 65 twice.
GCU also set another program mark in the yearly accolade list, earning three first-team nods for the first time.
Lauritzen, the fellow GCU freshman, joins Diehl after he sprung onto the collegiate golf scene with one of the best single-round scores a GCU golfer has ever tallied when he set the program's Division I-era record with a 63 in his first college round.
The Canyon Lakes, California, native finished with a 72.7 scoring average in 30 rounds, totaling four top-10 showings and a top-five outing when he finished third at the Southern Dunes Invitational in his first tournament as a Lope.
Lauritzen finished with the best tournament score among the Lopes in the WAC Championship two weeks ago, placing ninth in the conference field. He was named WAC Golfer of the Month for September.
Zorzetto claimed his second career award for the All-WAC first team and heads into the NCAA Reno Regional as the only Lopes golfer to compete in all three of the program's NCAA Tournament competitions.
Zorzetto, who is from Padova, Italy, registered a 72.8 scoring average in 33 rounds, finishing in the top 10 twice and claiming at least a share of the individual GCU Invitational title for the second consecutive year.
Coelho finished with the best per-round scoring average among GCU's five starters, tallying a 72.6 score in 33 rounds. Coelho notched two top-10 placements, including tying for 10th at the WAC Championship in Payson. Coelho's best single-round score was 4 under, a score he shot three times this season.
O'Neill claimed his first All-WAC honor in his second year at GCU and is set to compete in his second NCAA Tournament, becoming just the third Lope to play in two or more regionals. O'Neill recorded a 72.8 scoring average in 30 rounds, placing in the top 10 three times and the top five twice. His best finish came in Maricopa at the season opener, tying for fourth in the Southern Dunes Invitational.
GCU heads to Nevada, for the NCAA Reno Regional, which will run May 12 through May 14.
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Those five Lopes starters — freshmen Matthew Diehl and Nixon Lauritzen, graduate Tommaso Zorzetto, senior Kiko Coelho and sophomore Gavin O'Neill — were recognized by conference coaches in the yearly postseason awards, with Diehl highlighting the bunch a WAC Freshman of the Year.
Diehl, Lauritzen and Zorzettto were named to the All-WAC first team, giving GCU a first-team trio for the first time in program history. Coelho and O'Neill claimed All-WAc second-team honors. GCU's six awards marked the most of any single season in program history since joining the WAC in 2013. The Lopes claimed half of the All-WAC first and second teams' 10 spots.
From Redlands, California, Diehl immediately made an impact on the Lopes squad by helping them earn three top-five finishes through their first four fall tournaments.Diehl's play only grew stronger from there, registering three top-10 finishes and an individual title at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate in Scottsdale in early March.
Diehl's WAC Freshman of the Year honor is the first for GCU since joining Division I in 2013. The "of the year" accolade is the second in as many seasons for the Lopes after Nicky Kling garnered WAC Player of the Year in 2024. In 33 rounds, Diehl averaged 73.4 strokes per round with a season-low score of 65 twice.
GCU also set another program mark in the yearly accolade list, earning three first-team nods for the first time.
Lauritzen, the fellow GCU freshman, joins Diehl after he sprung onto the collegiate golf scene with one of the best single-round scores a GCU golfer has ever tallied when he set the program's Division I-era record with a 63 in his first college round.The Canyon Lakes, California, native finished with a 72.7 scoring average in 30 rounds, totaling four top-10 showings and a top-five outing when he finished third at the Southern Dunes Invitational in his first tournament as a Lope.
Lauritzen finished with the best tournament score among the Lopes in the WAC Championship two weeks ago, placing ninth in the conference field. He was named WAC Golfer of the Month for September.
Zorzetto claimed his second career award for the All-WAC first team and heads into the NCAA Reno Regional as the only Lopes golfer to compete in all three of the program's NCAA Tournament competitions.Zorzetto, who is from Padova, Italy, registered a 72.8 scoring average in 33 rounds, finishing in the top 10 twice and claiming at least a share of the individual GCU Invitational title for the second consecutive year.
Coelho finished with the best per-round scoring average among GCU's five starters, tallying a 72.6 score in 33 rounds. Coelho notched two top-10 placements, including tying for 10th at the WAC Championship in Payson. Coelho's best single-round score was 4 under, a score he shot three times this season.
O'Neill claimed his first All-WAC honor in his second year at GCU and is set to compete in his second NCAA Tournament, becoming just the third Lope to play in two or more regionals. O'Neill recorded a 72.8 scoring average in 30 rounds, placing in the top 10 three times and the top five twice. His best finish came in Maricopa at the season opener, tying for fourth in the Southern Dunes Invitational.
GCU heads to Nevada, for the NCAA Reno Regional, which will run May 12 through May 14.
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