Somerset, NJ – He led Robert Morris to the program's fourth NEC title last month and now Max Palmer (Novi, MI/Detroit Catholic Central) has earned himself some individual hardware.

The junior from Novi, MI was named the 2019 NEC Golfer of the Year in a vote of head coaches.

Palmer, who joined C.G. Mercatoris (2011) as RMU winners of the league's most prestrigious honor, was as consistent as they come this season for the Colonials. He paced the NEC with a 73.9 stroke average on the year, including a 72.3 average over five spring meets. He logged seven top-10 finishes over 10 meets in 2018-19, and finished no lower than seventh this spring. 

Palmer took second at the NEC Golf Championship last month, carding a 3-over 219 (73-74-72), a year after finishing third at the same event. He had a second place showing at the Towson Spring Invitational, shooting a 4-under 140, and also finished under par at the Abrata Coca Cola Collegiate Invitational, taking third with a 1-under 143 to spark RMU to the team title.

Named the NEC Player of the Week on April 3, Palmer added a second All-NEC first team honor to his resume and is now a three-time all-star. He was the NEC Rookie of the Year for the 2016-17 season.

Sacred Heart freshman Nathan Kim (Los Angeles, CA/The Pilgrim School) was named NEC Rookie of the Year and RMU's Jerry Stone was tabbed NEC Coach of the Year.

The lone freshman to earn All-NEC honors with his selection to the second team, Kim ranked second on the Pioneers and sixth in the conference with a 75.1 stroke average. He compiled four top-10 finishes, highlighted by his individual victory at the SHU Spring Invite in April. He set a course record with a 7-under 65 in the first round of the event, and registered a 5-under 139 over 36 holes to finish five strokes clear of the field and earn NEC Golfer of the Week honors on April 17. The 65 was the lowest round shot by an NEC golfer this season.

Kim joined Adam Petrasovic (2007) as SHU golfers to win the NEC Rookie of the Year award.

Stone claimed NEC Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time in his career after guiding the Colonials to the second league crown in his tenure. RMU posted a six-stroke victory at the NEC Championship to earn the program's first conference title since 2015. Under his guidance, RMU has finished no lower than fourth at each of the last seven NEC Tournaments.

MORE TO KNOW...

- FDU junior Florian Schroedl (Berlin, Germany/Hans Carossa Oberschule) was named to the All-NEC first team for the first time after capturing the individual title at the NEC Golf Championship in Daytona Beach, FL. Schroedl, who posted the second-lowest stroke average in the conference at 74.1, shot a 1-under 215 to best the field by four strokes at this year's NEC meet. An All-NEC second teamer a year ago, he is next headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to compete in the 2019 NCAA Regionals.

- Sacred Heart sophomore Saptak Talwar (New Delhi, India/International Junior Golf Academy) has built an impressive list of credentials in his two years. The 2018 NEC Rookie of the Year, Talwar has now earned back-to-back first team All-NEC honors. He won the Towson Invitational, shooting a 5-under 139, and took fourth at the NEC Championship. His 74.5 stroke average ranked third on the circuit.

- Mount St. Maru's sophomore Nacho Gomez (Malaga, Spain/Swans School) became the first Mount golfer to collect All-NEC honors since Devin O'Grady and Kevin Ellison back in 2012. Gomez landed a spot on the second team.

- Bryant junior Matthew Stafford (Suffield, CT/Suffield) picked up first team All-NEC accolade after being chosen to the second team in 2018.

- Bryant, Fairleigh Dickinson, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart each sported a pair of All-NEC award winners.