June 4, 2008

BERKELEY - University of California sophomore Evan Derian was named to the Pac-10 Men's Golf All-Academic First Team, the league announced on Wednesday. Derian posted a grade-point average of over 3.2 while posting a 72.8 stroke average for the Golden Bears in 2007-08.

A product of Manhattan Beach, Derian's most impressive performance came at the Pac-10 Championship in April, when he tied for sixth place after shooting a 284 (71.0 average) over the four rounds of the event. His best round of the year was a 67 at the MacKenzie Invitational in the fall, but he posted a pair of 68s in the spring - at the Pac-10 Championship and at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational.

In the last eight years, Cal has had 15 academic all-conference selections, including current professional golfers Peter Tomasulo and Michael Wilson, both three-time honorees, and current Golden Bear assistant coach Walter Chun, a two-time selection.

Cal, which advanced to the NCAA Regionals for the 10th time in the last 12 years, posted a third-place finish at this year's Pac-10 Championships - the Golden Bears' best finish since 2000 in the event. Five of the team's top six golfers return for the 2008-09 season, as well as former all-conference selection Michael Jensen, who redshirted the 2007-08 campaign.