CHARLESTON, S.C. – Fresh off earning a berth to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2001, the College of Charleston Men's Golf program swept the major postseason Colonial Athletic Association awards, as announced by the league office on Thursday. CofC's Mitch Krywulycz earned CAA Coach of the Year, freshman Kieron van Wyk won CAA Golfer of the Year, freshman Nevill Ruiter was tabbed CAA Rookie of the Year and a trio of Cougars were named First Team All-CAA (van Wyk, Ruiter and sophomore Zach Reuland).
 
Charleston racks up the awards in the midst of a historic campaign that has seen the Cougars win a second consecutive CAA Championship, clinch a ninth NCAA Regional berth in program history and finish fifth in that Regional to advance to the NCAA National Championships for just the second time in program history and the first time in 21 years.
 
Krywulycz has now won CAA Coach of the Year honors for a second consecutive season. Since arriving at CofC in 2018-19, Krywulycz has built the men's program into a dominant force, taking the Cougars to multiple NCAA Regionals, two league titles and now a history-making trip the NCAA Championships on May 27.
 
Van Wyk had made history in his own right during a legendary rookie campaign in 2021-22. The South Africa native wins CAA Golfer of the Year after becoming the first Black golfer in the history of the league to claim an individual CAA Championship. Van Wyk then led the Cougars to a fifth-place finish and an NCAA Championships berth by placing T-4 against a loaded field at the Palm Beach Gardens NCAA Regional.
 
Ruiter takes Rookie of the Year recognition after firing an eye-popping 70.3 scoring average in his first season at CofC thus far. Ruiter won the Daniel Island Intercollegiate in November and proceeded to rack up eight Top-25 finishes in 2021-22, including a 10^th-place performance at the NCAA Regional this week. Ruiter carded a key team-best, 3-under 69 in the final round of the NCAA Regional to help CofC clinch the spot at the National Championships.
 
Ruiter, van Wyk and Reuland were all named to the All-CAA First Team, becoming the first trio of Cougars to earn First Team recognition in the same season in program history. Reuland has competed in all 30 rounds this season, piling up 19 rounds of par or better and six Top-25 finishes in 2021-22.
 
The Cougars head to the National Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they will tee off action against 29 other programs at the Grayhawk Golf Club on May 27.