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Aidan Thomas’ first team selection headlines four all-conference selections.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Michael Navarrette
Photo: Courtesy
DALLAS – Following a season which led to NM State’s first at-large selection into an NCAA postseason event in any sport since 2012, four different Aggies have received all-conference recognition, the Conference USA office announced on Friday morning.
For the Aggies, Aidan Thomas, Ethan Klose, Alexandre Bauduin and Mateo Payán each garnered a spot among those recognized with an all-conference honor. Coming off an individual title at the CUSA Championship, Thomas was named First Team All-CUSA, while Klose collected second team honors and Bauduin secured a spot on the league’s third team. Lastly, Payán capped off an impressive debut season by earning one of five spots on the All-CUSA Freshman Team.
With four all-conference selections, this marks the most all-conference selections during Head Coach Mike Dirks‘ 14-year stint as the leader of the Aggie program.
Thomas, a sixth-year senior from Albuquerque, N.M., earns his fourth first-team all-conference selection after also being named First Team All-WAC three times prior to his final collegiate season. This year, he has compiled five top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes across 10 tournaments. This includes shooting a 208 (-8) to claim the Aggies’ first-ever CUSA individual title. In total, he has recorded six rounds in the 60s and has maintained an average score of 71.6 across 30 tournament rounds. Thomas also earned 1.5 total points at the NB3 Match Play event, where he helped the Aggies fight their way to a team title over Texas, Stanford and New Mexico. Thomas will enter the upcoming NCAA regional with six consecutive top-25 finishes, including posting four top-10 finishes in his last six tournaments.
Klose, a senior from Phoenix, Ariz., picked up the first all-conference honor of his two-year career at NM State. This year, Klose has competed in nine tournaments for the Crimson and White and has logged three top-10s and six top-25s, including shooting his way to an individual title at the Border Olympics in Houston. Two tournaments later, Klose would earn a sixth-place finish at the Arizona Thunderbirds Invitational. Across 27 rounds, he has maintained a scoring average of 72.4 strokes and submitted five rounds in the 60s. Klose also played a key role in the Aggies’ team championship at the NB3 Match Play, where he picked up wins over Texas’ Luke Potter, Stanford’s Logan Kim and New Mexico’s Clark Sonnenberg to contribute three crucial points. Currently, Klose is on a streak of four-straight top-25 finishes, including turning in back-to-back T13 finishes in his last two outings.
Bauduin, a redshirt senior from Bassussarry, France, earns all-CUSA honors on the heels of a season that included three top-10s and six top-25 finishes across nine tournaments in his third and final season with the Aggies. During the season, Bauduin has managed an average score of 72.9 which included five rounds in the 60s. His year was highlighted by a first-place finish at the Herb Wimberly Memorial, which he ultimately secured with a 64 (-7) in the final round. This currently stands as the lowest single round score by an Aggie this season. He also recently logged a ninth-place finish at the UC San Diego Invitational.
Payán, a freshman from Cali, Colombia, has put forth an impressive first year at the collegiate level that was rewarded with a selection to the all-freshman team. In his freshman campaign, Payán has played in 10 tournaments and has maintained a scoring average of 73.1 across 29 rounds. This season, he has logged three top 10s and five top 25s while submitting five rounds in the 60s. Payán’s year was highlighted by a T2 finish at the Herb Wimberly in the final event of the fall season. He would then open the spring season with a T8 finish at the N.I.T. in Tucson, Ariz, where he ended the tournament as the low Aggie. Recently, Payán placed tied for fourth at the UC San Diego Invitational to help the Aggies earn their second team title of the season.
The four all-conference Aggies will continue their season this Monday in Auburn, Ala., where they will compete in the NCAA Auburn Regional at the Auburn University Club.
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