MALIBU, California – Five members of the Pepperdine men's and women's golf teams earned West Coast Conference All-Academic status today, with Derek Hitchner and RJ Manke of the men's squad and Kathrine Chan and Momoka Kobori of the women's side all making the first team.
 
Additionally, Austin Murphy earned honorable mention status on the men's team.
 
It's the first time since 2014 that the men's team has put two student-athletes on the WCC All-Academic first team. The only previous year where three men's players were honored was 2004. This is the fifth time in the last eight years that the women's team has had two players make the first team.
 
To qualify for WCC All-Academic consideration, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.20 grade-point average and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically while having spent at least one year at the institution. Spring sports that saw their seasons canceled in mid-March had the participation minimum waived.
 
It's the second straight year that Manke made the first team. It's the first WCC All-Academic award for the other four.
 
Chan (Richmond, B.C., Canada/J.N. Burnett Secondary School), a sophomore sport administration major, appeared in five of Pepperdine's seven tournaments this season and recorded a 76.07 scoring average. Her best finish was a tie for 18th at the Juli Inkster Invitational.
 
Kobori (Rangiora, New Zealand/Rangiora HS), a senior sports medicine major, earned WGCA All-American honorable mention this past season. She was the WCC's highest-rated player at #49 by Golfstat. She posted a 71.90 scoring average – second-best in Pepperdine single-season history – and won the 2019 Dick McGuire Invitational.
 
Hitchner (Minneapolis, Minn./The Blake School), a sophomore political science major, ranked #133 nationally by Golfweek/Sagarin this past season. He had a 71.48 scoring average. Hitchner had the team's best round of the season, a 9-under 63 at the Prestige individual tournament. He had four top-20 finishes.
 
Manke (Lakewood, Wash./Bellarmine Preparatory School), a junior business administration major, ranked #197 nationally by Golfweek/Sagarin in 2019-20. He had a 73.00 scoring average. Manke was medalist at the 2019 WCC Championships.
 
Murphy (Morgan Hill, Calif./Bellarmine College Preparatory), a junior sport administration major, had a 71.67 scoring average in two tournaments this past season, and took ninth place at the Bill Cullum Invitational.
 
Women's WCC All-Academic first team: Annika Borrelli (San Francisco), Sarah Busey (Santa Clara), Kathrine Chan (Pepperdine), Quynn Duong (Gonzaga), Samantha Gong (San Francisco), Momoka Kobori (Pepperdine), Allysha Mae Mateo (BYU), Marni Murez (Santa Clara), Pearl Rojanapeansatith (San Francisco), Federica Torre (Gonzaga).
 
Women's WCC All-Academic honorable mention: Claire Choi (Santa Clara), Anna Kennedy (BYU), Isabella Seeburger (Santa Clara), Jade Siphomsay (San Francisco), Joan Soewondo (San Francisco), Anne-Claire Tande (Santa Clara), Chloe Wong (Santa Clara).
 
Men's WCC All-Academic first team: Gavin Cohen (LMU), Beau Forest (Pacific), Austin Fox (Pacific), Blake Hathcoat (Saint Mary's), Kelton Hirsch (BYU), Derek Hitchner (Pepperdine), Soren Lind (San Francisco), RJ Manke (Pepperdine), Matt McCarty (Santa Clara), Matthew Ruel (Gonzaga), Zach Stocker (Gonzaga), Tim Widing (San Francisco).
 
Men's WCC All-Academic honorable mention: Matthew Anderson (San Francisco), Jack Avrit (Santa Clara), Austin Banz (BYU), Alex Barclay (Pacific), Holden Backes (Gonzaga), Alex Chin (San Francisco), Wil Del Biaggio (Santa Clara), Justin Egelske (LMU), Will Grattan (San Diego), Ash Hakim (Saint Mary's), Chad Hardy (BYU), Remington Hirano (San Diego), Petr Janik (Pacific), Kent Kao (Saint Mary's), Donald Kay (San Diego), Harrison Kingsley (San Diego), Kyle Kinnane (LMU), Griffin Long (Pacific), Charlie Magruder (Gonzaga), Yash Majmudar (San Diego), Cameron Meeks (LMU), Austin Murphy (Pepperdine), Raymond Navis (LMU), Nick Nolan (Gonzaga), Maverick Pavletich (Pacific), Samuel Su (LMU).