2026 CAA Men’s Golf Awards Unveiled
Dylan Smith
RICHMOND, Va. (May 13, 2026) – UNCW’s
James Rico (Player of the Year) and
Blake Taylor (Coach of the Year), as well as William & Mary’s
Talon Dingledine (Co-Rookie of the Year) and Elon’s
Drew Yeagley (Co-Rookie of the Year), received 2026 CAA Men’s Golf Postseason Awards, as voted on by the league’s coaches.
Rico picked up his first CAA Player of the Year award, becoming just the eighth Seahawk in program history to secure the top honor. The senior caught fire in the final month of action, prior to the national postseason, logging both of his podium finishes since March 30, including medalist honors at the CAA Men’s Golf Championship. Rico unloaded an impressive conference-record 14-under 202 at Dataw Island Club. The Cary, N.C, product shot even or better on 52 of his 54 holes at the par-72, 6,764-yard Cotton Dike course.
UNCW Head Coach Taylor became just the fourth Seahawks coach to garner the league’s top coaching honor, marking the seventh time in program history and first since 2023. The Wilmington, N.C., native saw his team secure six top-two finishes in competition this season, with its most notable win coming with conference hardware. The Seahawks hoisted their ninth CAA Championship after smashing the tournament’s benchmark by three strokes, finishing at 38-under 826. Rico, along with fellow All-CAA First Team selections
John Logan and
Gray Mitchum, all finished in the top five at Dataw Island. Taylor saw four of his golfers receive All-Conference recognition, as
Preston Worch landed on the Second Team.
William & Mary’s Dingledine and Elon’s Yeagley split CAA Rookie of the Year recognition following stellar freshmen seasons for their respective programs, also earning All-CAA Second Team nods. The duo also became the first set of co-winners for the league’s Rookie of the Year honor. The Tribe’s standout freshman earned a runner-up finish in his first CAA Championship, shooting a 9-under 207 in South Carolina. The Chesterfield, Va., native posted top-10 marks in seven of his 10 competitions this season. Yeagley picked up a pair of finishes inside the top five during the spring, notably boasting a runner-up mark in a field of 107 golfers at the Surf Club Invitational.
Charleston’s
Loran Appel and
Miles Eubanks landed on the league’s top team after a solid season for the Cougars. Eubanks, the top-ranked golfer in the CAA (#117), according to Clipp’d, earned his lone win in the Wexford Intercollegiate in February. Appel registered a pair of top-five marks, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Hootie Intercollegiate to go with a fourth-place standing in the CAA Men’s Golf Championship. The duo was also joined in the postseason recognition by Second Team selection
Nevill Ruiter.
Jack Wieler joined his Phoenix teammate Yeagley on the league’s Second Team with a trio of third-place marks this season. Campbell’s
Erik Johansson rounded out the squad with two podium finishes in 2025-26.
2026 CAA MEN’S GOLF POSTSEASON AWARDS
CAA Player of the Year
James Rico, UNCW
CAA Co-Rookies of the Year
Talon Dingledine, William & Mary
Drew Yeagley, Elon
CAA Coach of the Year
Blake Taylor, UNCW
2026 All-CAA First Team
| Player |
Team |
Class |
Hometown |
| Loran Appel |
Charleston |
Jr. |
Numansdorp, Netherlands |
| Miles Eubanks |
Charleston |
Jr. |
Warrenville, S.C. |
| John Logan |
UNCW |
Jr. |
Wilmington, N.C. |
| Gray Mitchum |
UNCW |
Gr. |
Greenville, N.C. |
| James Rico |
UNCW |
Sr. |
Cary, N.C. |
2026 All-CAA Second Team
| Player |
Team |
Class |
Hometown |
| Talon Dingledine |
William & Mary |
Fr. |
Chesterfield, Va. |
| Erik Johansson |
Campbell |
Jr. |
Hollviken, Sweden |
| Nevill Ruiter |
Charleston |
Gr. |
Bergen, Netherlands |
| Jack Wieler |
Elon |
Jr. |
Bluffton, S.C. |
| Preston Worch |
UNCW |
Jr. |
Delray Beach, Fla. |
| Drew Yeagley |
Elon |
Fr. |
Waxhaw, N.C. |
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