Cullowhee, N.C. – On the strength of a pair of Top Five individual finishes in his first month as a collegian, Western Carolina true freshman Jake Peacock was today named the Southern Conference Men's Golfer of the Month for all competitions in September.
 
Peacock is just the fourth different Catamount men's golfer to earn monthly honors and the first since J.T. Poston earned the award back in March 2015. Matt Cook was recognized a SoCon record nine times during his four-year career with Ricky Stout collecting plaudits in October, 2009. Peacock's recognition gives WCU a SoCon best 13 monthly award winners since the league began handing out the honor in 2002-03.
 
The league's monthly award winners are selected by the conference office from nominations submitted by sports information or media relations personnel at each member institution. Peacock was joined by volleyball's Destinee Dorsey as a monthly honoree from the SoCon as she collected SoCon Volleyball Defensive Player of the Month, also announced on Friday.
 
Peacock helped guide Western Carolina to a team championship in his collegiate debut, standing atop the podium by claiming individual medalist honors at the season-opening EKU Intercollegiate at the University Club at Arlington in Richmond, Ky. He carded all three rounds in the 60s, matching a program-record-low, 54-hole score of 200 (67-67-66) established by Catamount student-athlete alum Dylan MacQueen who was the last WCU golfer to win medalist honors at an event prior to Peacock's triumph. Peacock led the field in par-4 scoring at 10-under (3.72) and was fourth in the field with 14 birdies.
 
A product of Milton, Ga., Peacock followed up his season-opening victory with by placing in a fourth-place tie at WCU's home tournament, the 2021 J.T. Poston Invitational at the beautiful Country Club of Sapphire Valley. He fired a three-round, 7-under par 206 (66-70-70) at the par-71 course, leading the 87-golfer field in par-3 scoring at 4-under (2.67) and finishing tied for seventh with 15 birdies.
 
All told for the month, Peacock averaged 67.67 strokes per round over his first 108 holes in the first two tournaments of his career. Four of his six rounds have been shot in the 60s with each round turned in under-par at the respective events. Peacock shot a career-low round of 66 in the final round at the EKU Invitational before matching it in the opening round of the Poston Invitational.
 
Western Carolina returns to action Oct. 11-12 at the Carolina Collegiate, hosted by SoCon foe Wofford at the Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, S.C. The 54-hole event is spread over two days with 36 holes slated for the opening day.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's golf and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountMGolf).
 
Southern Conference September Athletes of the Month
Football – offense: Liam Welch, Samford
Football – defense: Ty Boeck, Chattanooga
Men's golf: Jake Peacock, Western Carolina
Women's golf: Anna Morgan, Furman
Men's cross country: Daniel Bernal, Furman
Women's cross country: Bethany Graham, Furman
Men's soccer – offense: Theo Collomb, UNCG
Men's soccer – defense: Drew Romig, Belmont
Women's soccer – offense: Suzuka Yosue, The Citadel
Women's soccer – defense: Morgan McAslan, Samford
Volleyball – offense: Kayla White, UNCG
Volleyball – defense: Destinee Dorsey, Western Carolina
Volleyball – setter: Gabriela McHugh, UNCG