NORMAN, Okla. (July 8) – Pat Pio (Somers, Conn.), a recent graduate of Nichols College, has been named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar, it was announced Thursday by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Pio is one of 60 Division III golfers nationwide to earn the honor, and is the only representative from The Commonwealth Coast Conference.
One of nine New England golfers to earn the honor, Pio carded four-straight NEIGA All-New England honors in his career and claimed the ECAC Division III Championship and the TCCC Championship individual titles in his senior campaign, winning the TCCC title for the second time in his career. He is a PING Division III Third Team All-American and All-Region honoree, becoming the school’s first All-American in any sport in over five years in 2009. In 2008, he led the Bison to the program’s first-ever NEIGA Division III title with a career-best eighth-place finish on the individual leaderboard. In 2007, Pio led Nichols to the TCCC Team Championship title while winning the Individual title as a sophomore.
In 49 career events, Pio finished in the top-10 on 42 occasions, the top-5 in 28 events, and placed first 13 times. He finished in the top-10 in all eight fall matches in 2009, and medaled at the Trinity Invitational for the second consecutive year. Pio earned the College’s Hal Chalmers Memorial Athletic Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship this spring and was named the Nichols College Junior (2009) and Sophomore (2008) Male Athlete of the Year.
Pio is a 2010 graduate of Nichols College with degrees in accounting and management. He volunteered his time with the Catch the Spirit Golf Clinic at Longmeadow Country Club and with Relay for Life. He was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council.
To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon Division III All-America Scholar status an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least two full years at the collegiate level, participate in 70 percent of his team’s competitive rounds or compete in the NCAA Championships, have a stroke-average under 79.0, maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.