BEVERLY, Mass. – Jake Zirlin of the Suffolk men's golf team earned Conference of New England (CNE) Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition, the league office announced Thursday.
Voting for the All-CNE major awards, Scholar-Athlete and Coahc of the Year, was conducted by CNE men's golf head coaches, while All-CNE nods were awarded to the top-12 golfers at the 2024 CNE Championships, which were held Oct. 29-30 at the Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Zirlin, a senior captain, took home the Scholar-Athlete distinction, which is awarded to a student-athlete who is either graduating or has exhausted their eligibility and has excelled both on the course and in the classroom.
Academically, the Sleepy Hollow, Illinois, native maintains a 3.690 GPA, while working towards his bachelor's degree in accounting. A year ago, he secured College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, to become the third men's golfer in Suffolk's history to pick up the academic accolade by the national organization.
On the links, Zirlin has been a staple in Suffolk's line-up throughout his collegiate career. At the CNE Championships this year, he shot a 160 over the two-day tournament to share 25th.
Zirlin is the second Ram in Suffolk men's golf history to grab CNE Scholar-Athlete, first since Vijay Sakuru secured the feat a year ago. Overall, eight golfers have combined for 11 all-league awards in the blue-and-gold's all-time annals – eight from the CNE (formerly CCC) and three by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).
In addition to the all-league accolades, the conference handed out the CNE Community Service Team award, which is presented to a student-athlete on each squad that demonstrates a commitment to their community. Suffolk's honoree was Trey Connolly.
With the fall season wrapped up, Suffolk men's golf is idle until the spring slate, which will be announced following the New Year.
2024 CNE Men's Golf Postseason Awards
Player of the Year - Ryan Dacey, RWU
Rookie of the Year - Josh Peterson, RWU / Derek Johnson, WNE / Myles O'Quinn, Endicott
Scholar Athlete of the Year - Vijay Sakuru, Suffolk
Coach of the Year - Thomas Smith, Endicott
All-CNE First-Team
Ryan Dacey, RWU
Will Pierce, Endicott
Tyler Baker, Endicott
Josh Peterson, RWU
Derek Johnson, WNE
Myles O'Quinn, Endicott
All-CNE Second-Team
Mario Mateo, Gordon
Will Lafrance, RWU
Cole Scannell, Gordon
Brady Burke, Endicott
All-CNE Third-Team
Cal Tryder, RWU
Nathan Tallinder, Hartford
Jon Dumais, Wentworth
Kyle St. Pierre, Hartford
Community Service Team
Tyler Baker, Endicott
Mario Mateo, Gordon
Louis Denison, Nichols
Nathan Tallinder, Hartford
Trey Connolly, Suffolk
Trevor Flanagan, UNE
Ryan Vincent, Wentworth
Jeremy Burke, Western New England