Over the next several weeks, the University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics will be releasing its All-Decade Teams of the 2010s. For a full schedule of the teams set to be released, click here.
DETROIT (5/11/2020) -- The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics is unveiling its All-Decade Teams of the 2010s, compiling the best student-athletes across the past 10 seasons (2010-19) into a First and Second Team in each intercollegiate sport. Next up is another successful Detroit Mercy team in men's golf.
The Titans captured a Horizon League championship early in the decade, winning the league crown in 2010. Detroit Mercy also finished runner-up in 2014 and placed inside the top-three at the Horizon League championships in four seasons during the decade (2010, 2012-14). The Titans are second in league history with seven Horizon League titles overall.
David Byrne was the Horizon League Player of the Year in 2010 and four-time All-League during his Titan career, including earning his fourth All-Conference laurel in 2010. Thirteen (13) Titans in all were All-Horizon League during the decade, capturing at least one honor in nine of the 10 years. Wil Wittmann was three-time All-Horizon League (2014-16), while Brendan Leonard (2013-14) and Kyle Gaines (2015, 2017) were both two-time All-League for the Titans.
Detroit Mercy carded the best team score at the Horizon League Championships during the decade, with an 875 (295-292-288) in 2010. The Titans had a six-shot victory over Green Bay for their seventh league title in school history. Four Titans were in the top-15 during their championship season -- Britt Pronk (217, T-3rd), Jeff Clarridge (217, T-3rd), Simon Reyers (222, T-10th) and David Byrne (224, T-15th). The red, white and blue nearly got their second Horizon League title in 2014, finishing just three strokes behind Cleveland State (892-895).
Following his standout Titan career, Byrne made his mark on national television, winning Big Break Indian Wells in 2011 shortly after graduating from the University. Byrne was one of two Titan men's golfers to receive the President's Award during the decade with Kyle Gaines also receiving the honor from the Athletic Department in 2017.
Four different Titans earned the HL Newcomer/Freshman of the Year honor out of the 10 years during the decade with Lucas Kim (2012), Wil Wittmann (2013),
Scott Sparks (2017), Anthony Occhuito (2019) all receiving the accolade. In all, Detroit Mercy has a league-high 11 Newcomer/Freshman of the Year accolades in the history of men's golf in the Horizon League.
All-League honors, award winners, standout and record-breaking performances, academic achievements and accolades as well as submissions from fans were all considered for each of the Detroit Mercy All-Decade Teams of the 2010s.
Detroit Mercy Men's Golf All-Decade Team of 2010s
First Team
Second Team
