Javier Neira Garcia Named to All-WAC First Team

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s golf team learned on Tuesday that senior Javier Neira Garcia is part of the All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) First Team.

Garcia is coming off a fourth-place finish at the WAC Championship last week where he finished with a three-round score of even par 216 after posting rounds of 73, 72, and 71.

Garcia led the Vaqueros this season with a 71.9 stroke average as he carded 17 rounds of even par or better. Garcia also recorded the Vaqueros’ lone win of the season at The Big Texan, becoming UTRGV’s first individual winner since Henry Fisher (2016-20) won the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate in the spring of 2020.

Garcia etched his name into the program record book when he tied the program record for individual single round score with a 64 (-8) at The Big Texan. Garcia’s three-round score of 205 (69, 72, 64) at The Big Texan is the third lowest individual three-round score in program history and is one shy of the program record of 204 held by Armen Kirakossian (2006-10) and Manuel Inman (1998-99).

2024 WAC Men’s Golf Major Awards and All-Conference
Player of the Year: Nicky Kling, Sr., Grand Canyon
Freshman of the Year: Kevin Li, Seattle U
Coach of the Year: Mark Mueller, Grand Canyon

All-Conference First Team
Nicky Kling, Sr., Grand Canyon
Tommaso Zorzetto, Sr., Grand Canyon
Kevin Li, Fr., Seattle U
Javier Neira Garcia, Sr., UTRGV
Dane Huddleston, Fr., Utah Valley

All-Conference Second Team
Zane Heusel, Gr., Abilene Christian
Fred Tindale, Gr., California Baptist
Matthew Pennington, Sr., Grand Canyon
Max Bengtsson, So., Tarleton State
Daniel Cronje, Gr., UT Arlington