NORMAN, Okla. – The IUP men's golf program continued to earn national recognition for its success in the classroom as the Crimson Hawks were named a recipient of the Golf Coaches Association of America's Presidents Special Recognition Award for the 2025-26 academic year.

IUP was one of just 26 NCAA Division II men's golf programs to receive the honor and one of 155 institutions across all six collegiate divisions recognized by the GCAA. The Crimson Hawks were the only Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference program to earn the distinction.

The Presidents Special Recognition Award recognizes programs that achieve exceptional academic success, requiring teams to post a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5 during the academic year.

The recognition adds to another successful season for the Crimson Hawks both on the course and in the classroom. Earlier this week, four IUP student-athletes earned GCAA Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar honors.

Seniors Alex Swinnerton and Guillermo Salazar, along with sophomores Ben De Castro and Trevor Todd, were recognized after competing in at least 50 percent of the team's competitive rounds while maintaining a stroke average of 78.0 or better and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2.

Swinnerton and Salazar concluded standout careers that included multiple All-PSAC and all-region honors, while De Castro and Todd each took significant strides during their sophomore campaigns to help IUP remain among the top programs in the Atlantic Region.

The combination of the team academic award and four individual scholar honors highlights the culture established within the Crimson Hawks program, where success in competition is matched by excellence in the classroom.

The recognition caps another outstanding academic year for IUP men's golf, reinforcing the program's commitment to developing student-athletes who excel both on the golf course and in the classroom.