Galvan Earns Freshman of Year; McCarthy Coach of Year as Men's Golf Shines in LSC Awards

ROCKWALL, Texas — After having one of the most successful seasons in school history, the coaches in the Lone Star Conference awarded the St. Mary's University Men's Golf team with five awards at the pre-championship banquet on Sunday evening.
 
Director of Golf Connor McCarthy was tabbed the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Rattlers to three tournament titles in nine events. The Rattlers finished in the top five seven times, and three different players brought home individual medalist honors a total of four times. The Rattlers enter the Conference Championship ranked third in the region and 15th in the nation, climbing 43 spots throughout the season. McCarthy is in his second year at the helm of the Rattlers' golf programs.
 
Elijah Galvan from Austin, Texas, was named the league's Freshman of the Year in a vote by the conference head coaches. Galvan has finished in the top 25 in six tournaments and has posted 12 rounds of par or better in 27 rounds. His best finish to date was sixth place at The Hrnciar in October. Galvan ranks 29th in the region and has moved up over 250 places in the national rankings since his first tournament with the Rattlers.
 
Juniors Kongpop Kaikaew (Rayong, Thailand) and Baptiste Touchard (Saint-Agathon, France) were honored on the All-Conference First Team, while freshman Guillaume Paquette (La Minerve, Quebec, Canada) was the lone honorable mention selection.
 
Touchard was also tabbed to the All-Academic team, becoming the first-ever Rattler named to the squad in the Lone Star. On the links, Touchard has won two tournaments, tying for medalist honors at The Hrnciar and winning the Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 12-under-par total of 204. He has finished inside the top 25 in all nine tournaments and has six top-10 finishes. He currently ranks 10th in the region and 34th in the nation, climbing over 150 spots since October.
 
Kaikaew has placed in the top 10 six times in nine tournaments, including winning the Fujikura Invitational with a five-under-par total of 211 to kick off the spring season. He has finished second three other times, most recently last week at the Battle at Riverhill. Kaikaew is right behind Touchard, ranking 12th in the region, and he is 46th in the nation.
 
Paquette, who joined the Rattlers for second semester, won the Battle at Riverhill last week in Kerrville with an 11-under-par total of 205, while he tied for sixth at the MSU Invitational to lead the Rattlers at the end of March. He begins the conference championship ranked 105th nationally and 18th in the region.
 
The Lone Star Conference Championship begins on Monday at 8:30 a.m. The Rattlers are teamed with Midwestern State and Oklahoma Christian for the first round and will begin on holes one through four.

2025 LSC MEN'S GOLF ALL-CONFERENCE
 
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Player of the Year: Seth Bearden, Midwestern State
Newcomer of the Year: Aston Castillo, DBU
Freshman of the Year: Elijah Galvan, St. Mary's
Coach of the Year: Connor McCarthy, St. Mary's
 
[Each group sorted alphabetically by team]
 
FIRST TEAM
Player                               Team                                 Year           Hometown
Seth Bearden                    Midwestern State                Jr.              Crowell, Texas
Leandro Mihaich               Oklahoma Christian            Jr.              Bell Ville, Argentina
Oskari Nikku                     Oklahoma Christian            Sr.              Tuusula, Finland
Kongpop Kaikaew             St. Mary's                           Jr.              Rayong, Thailand
Baptiste Touchard             St. Mary's                           Jr.              Saint-Agathon, France
Seth Campbell                  UT Tyler                             Sr.              Lovelady, Texas
 
SECOND TEAM
Player                               Team                                 Year           Hometown
Ethan Korock                    Cameron                            Sr.              Jonestown, Texas
Aston Castillo                    DBU                                   Gr.             Lubbock, Texas
Samuel Jenkins                DBU                                   Jr.              Garland, Texas
Exequiel Rodriguez           Oklahoma Christian            Sr.              Buenos Aires, Argentina
Will Tate                           UT Permian Basin               Jr.              Reading, England
Santiago Caride                West Texas A&M                Jr.              Bariloche, Argentina
 
HONORABLE MENTION
Player                               Team                                 Year           Hometown
Guillaume Paquette           St. Mary's                           Fr.              La Minerve, Quebec, Canada