PORTLAND, Ore. – The Montana State University Billings men's golf team placed three student-athletes on the Academic All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference team, as announced by the league on Wednesday and presented by Barnes & Noble College.
 
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets are Trey Engellant, Ryan Badger, and Kaopun Akmaneenin, each earning the honor for the first time in their careers. The Academic All-GNAC distinction recognizes student-athletes who maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA while competing in their second season or beyond at their institution, highlighting excellence both academically and athletically.
 
"Always nice to see our golfers get rewarded for their hard work on the course and in the classroom," said head coach Adam Buie. "Trey, Ryan, and Kaopun have put in a ton of work with their academics to make good grades. Trey is graduating in only three years, and Ryan and Kaopun are on track to graduate on time as well."
 
Engellant paces the group with a 3.64 GPA while majoring in Accounting. The Kalispell native has competed in four tournaments this season, posting an 85.89 scoring average across nine rounds. His campaign has been highlighted by career-best rounds, including a 77 over 18 holes and a 54-hole total of 240 at the Sapona Intercollegiate in early March.
 
Badger, a sophomore studying Business Finance, carries a 3.60 GPA and has been a steady contributor throughout the season. The Palm Desert, California native owns a 79.0 scoring average over 11 rounds in five tournaments, finishing inside the top 33 in each appearance. His top performance came at the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational, where he tied for 18th after carding rounds of 77 and 73 for a 150 total.
 
Akmaneenin rounds out the trio with a 3.29 GPA while studying Business Administration. The sophomore from Nonthaburi, Thailand has led Academic All-GNAC trio on the course this season, compiling a 76.63 scoring average over 19 rounds—an improvement of nearly two strokes from last year. He has recorded three top 25 finishes, including a third place showing at the Briarwood Shootout and a fourth-place finish at the Homestake Invitational.