Briefs: Finalists chosen for Lott award
The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, based in Newport Beach, has announced the four finalists for the 2011 Lott IMPACT Trophy in college football.
They are (in alphabetical order): Emmanuel Acho of Texas, Dont’a Hightower of Alabama, Luke Kuechly of Boston College and Manti Te’o of Notre Dame. All four are linebackers. Acho is a senior while the other three are juniors.
The award goes to the defensive player who has had the biggest IMPACT on his team, both on and off the field. The IMPACT acronym is Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
“These are outstanding football players, who represent their universities with distinction and honor,” Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott said in a release. “They are terrific players who also excel off the field with their character, integrity and hard work in the classroom. I’m excited to meet them at our awards banquet.”
The eighth annual Lott IMPACT Trophy awards banquet, where the 2011 winner will be announced, will be Dec. 11 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach.
Hall of Fame broadcaster Brent Musburger will be the keynote speaker.
The IMPACT Foundation will award $25,000 to the general scholarship fund of the winner’s university with each of the runners-up’s school receiving $5,000.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Sgt. Dakota Meyer will receive an honorary Lott Trophy that night.
The banquet will be televised live on FOX Sports, starting at 6 p.m.
— From staff reports
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UCI alumni competes
LA QUINTA —A trio of UC Irvine men’s golf alums completed their first rounds Wednesday at the final stage of PGA Qualifying School at PGA West.
Mike Lavery fired a five-under-par round of 67 and is tied for 10th place in the 172-player field. He played the Nicklaus Tournament Course and carded six birdies and one bogey.
Sean Shahi shot 70 with three birdies and a bogey to tie for 61st place, also on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
John Chin had a one-over 73 on the Stadium Course and is in 126th place.
The final stage is being conducted at the Nicklaus Tournament & Stadium courses through Monday. The last three rounds will be televised on the Golf Channel. The top 25 players, plus ties, will earn PGA Tour cards for 2012. The next 50 players, plus ties, earn Nationwide Tour cards for next year and any remaining finishers earn conditional status on the Nationwide Tour.
Lavery, who played at UCI from 1999-2003, won the 2003 Big West Conference individual title and was a three-time All-Big West honoree.
Shahi earned All-Big West Conference honors each of his three years with the ‘Eaters (2007-09). He was runner-up to Chin in the 2008 Big West Championship.
As a senior at UCI, Chin ranked No. 1 in the final 2010 Golfstat Cup with a 70.05 average and he finished first in four tournaments. He had 11 top-10 finishes, including eight top-5s.
Chin was a 2010 Golfweek and PING All-America First Team (first in UCI’s NCAA Division I history) and he was named to the 2010 All-Nicklaus team.
He was a three-time Big West Conference Golfer of the Year and two-time medalist at the Big West Conference Championship, including in 2010 when he won the 54-hole tournament by nine shots.
Chin was a member of the 2010 United States Palmer Cup team that defeated Europe, 13-11, in Northern Ireland.
— From staff reports