JONESBORO, Ark. (4/29/25) –Arkansas State’s Thomas Schmidt was named the Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive season, Jake Wallis was chosen the league’s Freshman of the Year, and the pair was joined by Jack Maxey on the All-Conference Teams as announced by the league office Tuesday.
It marks the first time in league history that the Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year reside from the same team. Schmidt is the first back-to-back SBC Golfer of the Year recipient since Steven Fisk of Georgia Southern in 2018 and 2019. Wallis is the fourth A-State golfer to earn Freshman of the Year honors, joining Luka Naglic (2019), Zan Luka Stirn (2017) and Lloyd du Preez. With its three all-conference selections this season, A-State has totaled 24 selections in head coach Mike Hagen‘s tenure (since 2016), second-most in the league.
A First Team All-Conference selection for the second consecutive season, Schmidt was among the top players in the league with a single-season program record stroke average of 70.87. In 30 rounds played, he finished 31-under par posting seven eagles, 123 birdies and 319 pars among his 2,126 strokes. Schmidt finished tied for third at the Sun Belt Conference Championship stroke play and had a career-low round of 64 to open the event. He won both of his matches where A-State finished runner-up in match play at the Sun Belt Conference Championship. On the season, 22 of his 30 rounds were par or better and he finished inside the top 35 individuals in all 10 events, winning individual medalist honors at the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate and UC San Diego Invitational.
Wallis, a Third Team All-Conference pick, is the top freshmen in the league based on stroke average at 71.83. His 71.83 stroke average ranks fifth in program history and is the best for any A-State freshman. Wallis ranked second on the team with his four eagles and 120 birdies and was 2-under par for the season or -0.07 score versus par. He shot a low round of 63 at the Golfweek Fall Challenge and finished at 9-under par for the event for one of his four top five finishes this season. At the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Wallis finished tied for 11th at 2-under par 214, going 3-under par 69 in the final round.
Maxey, a Third Team All-Conference choice, won on a third playoff hole to take individual honors at the SBC Championship, A-State’s second all-time individual champion and first since 1997. Including his win at the A-State Spring Invitational in which he posted a career low 8-under 64 in the final round, Maxey earned five top 15 finishes on the season and finished with a stroke average of 72.23. In 30 rounds played, Maxey logged a pair of eagles, 117 birdies and 311 pars over his 2,167 strokes.
As a team, A-State set a single-season program record with a stroke average of 285.17. The Red Wolves tied the program record with 19 par or better rounds this season and had the second-most birdies (567) and eagles (16).
2024-25 Sun Belt Conference Golf Postseason Awards
Golfer of the Year
Thomas Schmidt, Arkansas State
Newcomer of the Year
Max Bengtsson, Coastal Carolina
Freshman of the Year
Jake Wallis, Arkansas State
Coach of the Year
Clay Bounds, Troy
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team
Louis Anceaux, ULM
Parker Claxton, Georgia Southern
Malan Potgieter, Louisiana
Thomas Schmidt, Arkansas State
Brantley Scott, Troy
Jake Springer, Troy
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team
Brantley Baker, Georgia Southern
Max Bengtsson, Coastal Carolina
Eli Ortego, Louisiana
Sakke Siltala, Texas State
Vaclav Tichy, James Madison
Hugo Thyr, South Alabama
All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team
Jack Burke, Texas State
Benjamin Fernandez, Southern Miss
Nick Fowlkes, Troy
Jack Maxey, Arkansas State
Drew Sykes, Coastal Carolina
Jake Wallis, Arkansas State