Freshman Charlie Toman (Chardon, Ohio / Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) didn’t have to wait long for the first accolade of his Valparaiso University men’s golf career.

Toman was recognized as the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week on Wednesday following a strong showing in his first collegiate tournament.

The Valpo rookie made an immediate impact, leading his team with a 54-hole score of 223 (+7) at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate, an event hosted by Missouri in Verona, N.Y. on Sunday and Monday.

“For the first tournament of his college career, Charlie played with a lot of poise and patience,” head coach Dave Gring said.  “Despite struggling with his ball-striking most of the tournament, Charlie kept grinding on the course and he kept a great attitude over all three rounds. He only hit six greens in the final round and he had three 3-putts, but his chipping and bunker shots were exceptional and he was getting up and down all around the greens.”

Toman helped his team finish in the top half of the standings as Valpo placed seventh in a competitive 18-team field. He carded a 72 in Round 1, 76 in Round 2 and 75 in Round 3. Toman notched his first collegiate eagle in the first round of his Valpo career, using just three strokes on a Par 5 sixth hole on Sunday.

"For each player, there is always a little more excitement and butterflies coming into your first college tournament,” Gring said. “Charlie prepared well for this past weekend's tournament and he had a good game plan in place for how to approach some of the more difficult holes.”

Toman becomes the second Valpo men’s golfer to earn The Valley’s weekly award since the program joined the conference. The first winner was Brett Seward, who received the distinction on March 8 this past spring.  

“After playing the last hole of the second round basically in the dark and making a quadruple bogey, I really admired how Charlie handled that adversity and kept a good attitude that evening and starting the third round,” Gring said. “Charlie does a great job of playing in the moment and staying focused with the shot at hand. That's a special quality and it will benefit him greatly this entire season.”

Up next, Valpo will participate in the Golfweek Program Challenge – a three-day event that begins on Sunday, Sept. 9 and runs through Tuesday, Sept. 11 in Pawleys Island, S.C.