Air Force Academy

June 29, 2010

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Three Air Force golfers were among the 760 student-athletes named to the spring 2010 Academic All-Mountain West Conference team, as announced by the league Tuesday morning. Tom Whitney (La Quinta, Calif.) and Kyle Bailey (Austin, Texas) each earned academic all-conference honors for the second time, while Caleb Leestma (Seabrook, Texas) garnered the first academic All-MWC accolades of his career.

Whitney, the Falcons' MVP in 2010, graduated from the Academy in May with a 3.29 GPA in social sciences. A two-time all-conference performer, Whitney closed out his career at Air Force as one of the most decorated golfers in school history. He holds numerous school records, including lowest individual round (64), lowest tournament score (200) and lowest season stroke average (71.7), and was a finalist for the Byron Nelson Award. Whitney also was a two-time NCAA Regional participant.

Bailey, a rising senior with a 3.16 GPA in computer science, competed in 11 tournaments during the 2009-10 season, with his best performance coming at the annual Service Academy Golf Classic. Bailey posted a mark of 211 (-5) to earn the first medalist honors of his career at the SAGC, leading Air Force to its 13th-straight team title at the event.

Meanwhile, Leestma, a rising junior with a 3.05 GPA in systems engineering management, competed in eight tournaments for the Falcons during the 2009-10 season, including his first appearance at the Mountain West Conference Championship.

The spring 2010 Academic All-Mountain West Conference team included athletes in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.