Liberty University announced on May 15 that Silas Haarer has been selected as the Conference USA Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year for 2026, with four team members earning spots on the all-conference teams following their recent championship win.
The recognition comes after Liberty’s victory in last month’s Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship, highlighting the team’s strong performance throughout the season. These honors reflect both individual and collective achievements by Liberty’s men’s golf program during a competitive year.
Sophomore Michael Lugiano was named to the first team, one of six golfers to receive this distinction. Seniors Ike Joy and Josh Ryan were placed on the second team, while Haarer earned spots on both the third team and All-Freshman Team. Lugiano led his teammates with a season stroke average of 70.81 and played more than half his rounds at par or better, achieving two top-five finishes and eleven sub-70 rounds.
Joy contributed significantly to Liberty’s success by sinking a crucial birdie putt during match play against UTEP in the championship round, helping secure Liberty’s ninth conference title in program history. Ryan is currently second on Liberty’s roster with a 71.53 stroke average this season and holds an active career stroke average record for Liberty at 71.39 over four years.
Haarer’s selection marks him as only the eighth player in program history to be named league Freshman of the Year and is notable as he is Liberty’s first since joining Conference USA three seasons ago; Ryan previously received similar recognition from ASUN Conference in 2023. Haarer also ranks as Conference USA’s top freshman golfer according to national rankings, having competed in eleven events with sixteen rounds at par or better this season.
Looking ahead, Haarer will join Joy, Ryan, Lugiano, senior Brett Reid, and sophomore Luke Libbey at next week’s NCAA Corvallis Regional from May 18-20 in Oregon. A top-five finish would advance them to what could be their fifth appearance at NCAA Men’s Golf Championship.
