Senior men’s golfer Zack Kempa has been named the 2013-14 IUP Male Athlete of the Year. The Crimson Hawks' top player for the past two seasons, Kempa was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Men’s Golfer of the Year and received third team Division II All-American honors from PING.
Kempa led the PSAC and finished 41stin the nation with a 73.31 stroke average this season. He had seven top 10 finishes in 11 events, including individual victories at the Hal Hansen Invitational and the Glade Springs Intercollegiate Championship. Ten of his 29 rounds came at or below par, with a low round of 68 at the opening round of the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional.
His biggest moment of the season came at the end of the third round of the national championships, sinking a birdie putt on the final hole to send the Crimson Hawks to the match play round for the first time in program history. He had four birdies in his final 10 holes of the round and finished the tournament in a tie for 19th place with a nine-over 222.
Kempa ends his career as a four-time All-Atlantic Region performer, three All-American nods, and was twice named the PSAC player of the year. He’s third all-time in IUP history with seven career wins (unofficially), and had 24 top five finishes in 45 career events.
He earned first team Capital One Academic All-America® Men’s At-Large selection in 2014, as well as earning CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 at-large selections each of the past two seasons. He was also one of five men from the conference to earn the PSAC Spring Top 10 award, which recognizes athletic and academic achievements.
