Photo by: Todd Drexler
Covich Signs Trio to NLIs
November 14, 2018 04:56 PM | Golf
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University golf team will add three players to the roster for the 2019-20 season, as Christian Boyd (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington HS), Nico Lang (Ingolstadt, Germany/Gymnasium Gaimersheim) and Trent Tipton (Orient, Ohio/Bishop Hartley HS) committed to the Mountaineers on Wednesday as part of National Signing Day.
Christian Boyd, a native of Charles Town, West Virginia, was a 2018 West Virginia High School AAA All-State honoree and served as a member of both the 2018 WVGA North vs. South Junior Team and 2018 Virginias vs. Carolinas Team. A two-time EPAC Player of the Year, Martinsburg Journal Player of the Year and West Virginia High School AAA All-State Player of the Year, Boyd also was the 2016 WVGA Callaway Junior Tour Player of the Year and was twice a member of the WVGA Mid-Atlantic Team. Boyd was the medalist at the 2018 Big I National Qualifier (70), 2018 Parkersburg High School Invitational at Parkersburg Country Club (67), 2018 Washington High School Invitational at Locust Hill Golf Club (63), 2017 West Virginia High School AAA State Championship (75-69) and 2017 West Virginia Junior Amateur (81-67). Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2018 West Virginia High School AAA State Championship (73-69), the 2018 West Virginia Junior Amateur (72-69) and the 2017 West Virginia Match Play Championship. Boyd, who played for Washington High, also took home top-10 finishes at the 2018 West Virginia Men's Amateur Championship at The Greenbrier (fifth place) and the 2018 West Virginia Open at Glade Springs (eighth place).
Boyd is the fourth West Virginia native to join the team. Previous letterwinners hailing from the state include Alan Cooke and Chris Williams, both of whom graduated in 2017.
"Anytime a native West Virginian chooses to stay home and wear the Flying WV logo, it's special," coach Sean Covich said. "Christian was very important to our recruiting class. Not only is he a great young man and a very accomplished player, but he's from our home state. I look forward to what Christian will accomplish during his time as a Mountaineer."
Nico Lang, a native of Ingolstadt, Germany, boasts a resume full of international competition. He claimed wins at the 2017 Bavarian U18 Championship (74-76-71), the 2016 German National Qualifier (74-70-70), the Austrian International Junior Championship (76-70-68) and the 2016 German U18 National Qualifier (74-68). Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2017 Bavarian 16-18 Junior Championship (75-76-70), the 2016 Czech International Junior Championship (72-75-67), the 2016 German U18 Nationals (71-72-71) and the 2015 Florida International Junior Championship (71-72-73). Lang also took home a top-10 finish at the 2017 German International Amateur Championship (ninth place) and a top-20 finish at the 2018 Coca-Cola Berlin Open Championship (19th place).
Lang will be the second German Mountaineer, as junior Philipp Matlari hails from Leimen, Germany.
"Nico is a very athletic and dynamic player. He is a fierce competitor and will bring a lot of firepower to our lineup. I am very excited to have Nico on our roster for the next several years."
Orient, Ohio, native Trent Tipton joins WVU out of Bishop Hartley High. Golfweek ranks him as the No. 41 junior golfer (class of 2019), while Junior Golf Scoreboard ranks him at No. 73. Tipton won the 2016 PGA Junior Series at Kearney Hill (68-70-67) and qualified for the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur after winning the Qualifier at Browns Run (66). He finished as the runner-up at the 2018 AJGA Justin Thomas Junior Championship (72-68-70) and the 2016 AJGA Junior All-Star at The Virtues (71-70). Tipton was third at both the 2017 and 2016 Hudson Junior Invitational and was fifth at the 2017 AJGA Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior. Additionally, he finished in the top 10 of the 2017 the Memorial Junior Championship (eight place) and the 2018 North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst (ninth place), and posted top-20 finishes at the 2017 North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst (16th place), the 2017 Ohio Amateur (18th) and the 2016 Ohio Amateur (20th). In his scholastic career, Tipton was the runner-up at the 2016 Ohio High School State Championship and placed third at the event in 20187. He has also competed in the Western Junior Championship (2018), U.S. Junior Championship (2017) and the Junior PGA Championship (2016-17).
"Trent has played in all the major events for junior golf: U.S. Junior, Junior PGA and the Western Junior. He is experienced on challenging golf courses which will help prepare him for golf in the Big 12 Conference. There are many things to like about Trent's game, but perhaps the best is his desire to compete."
Christian Boyd, a native of Charles Town, West Virginia, was a 2018 West Virginia High School AAA All-State honoree and served as a member of both the 2018 WVGA North vs. South Junior Team and 2018 Virginias vs. Carolinas Team. A two-time EPAC Player of the Year, Martinsburg Journal Player of the Year and West Virginia High School AAA All-State Player of the Year, Boyd also was the 2016 WVGA Callaway Junior Tour Player of the Year and was twice a member of the WVGA Mid-Atlantic Team. Boyd was the medalist at the 2018 Big I National Qualifier (70), 2018 Parkersburg High School Invitational at Parkersburg Country Club (67), 2018 Washington High School Invitational at Locust Hill Golf Club (63), 2017 West Virginia High School AAA State Championship (75-69) and 2017 West Virginia Junior Amateur (81-67). Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2018 West Virginia High School AAA State Championship (73-69), the 2018 West Virginia Junior Amateur (72-69) and the 2017 West Virginia Match Play Championship. Boyd, who played for Washington High, also took home top-10 finishes at the 2018 West Virginia Men's Amateur Championship at The Greenbrier (fifth place) and the 2018 West Virginia Open at Glade Springs (eighth place).
Boyd is the fourth West Virginia native to join the team. Previous letterwinners hailing from the state include Alan Cooke and Chris Williams, both of whom graduated in 2017.
"Anytime a native West Virginian chooses to stay home and wear the Flying WV logo, it's special," coach Sean Covich said. "Christian was very important to our recruiting class. Not only is he a great young man and a very accomplished player, but he's from our home state. I look forward to what Christian will accomplish during his time as a Mountaineer."
Nico Lang, a native of Ingolstadt, Germany, boasts a resume full of international competition. He claimed wins at the 2017 Bavarian U18 Championship (74-76-71), the 2016 German National Qualifier (74-70-70), the Austrian International Junior Championship (76-70-68) and the 2016 German U18 National Qualifier (74-68). Additionally, he was the runner-up at the 2017 Bavarian 16-18 Junior Championship (75-76-70), the 2016 Czech International Junior Championship (72-75-67), the 2016 German U18 Nationals (71-72-71) and the 2015 Florida International Junior Championship (71-72-73). Lang also took home a top-10 finish at the 2017 German International Amateur Championship (ninth place) and a top-20 finish at the 2018 Coca-Cola Berlin Open Championship (19th place).
Lang will be the second German Mountaineer, as junior Philipp Matlari hails from Leimen, Germany.
"Nico is a very athletic and dynamic player. He is a fierce competitor and will bring a lot of firepower to our lineup. I am very excited to have Nico on our roster for the next several years."
Orient, Ohio, native Trent Tipton joins WVU out of Bishop Hartley High. Golfweek ranks him as the No. 41 junior golfer (class of 2019), while Junior Golf Scoreboard ranks him at No. 73. Tipton won the 2016 PGA Junior Series at Kearney Hill (68-70-67) and qualified for the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur after winning the Qualifier at Browns Run (66). He finished as the runner-up at the 2018 AJGA Justin Thomas Junior Championship (72-68-70) and the 2016 AJGA Junior All-Star at The Virtues (71-70). Tipton was third at both the 2017 and 2016 Hudson Junior Invitational and was fifth at the 2017 AJGA Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior. Additionally, he finished in the top 10 of the 2017 the Memorial Junior Championship (eight place) and the 2018 North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst (ninth place), and posted top-20 finishes at the 2017 North & South Junior Championship at Pinehurst (16th place), the 2017 Ohio Amateur (18th) and the 2016 Ohio Amateur (20th). In his scholastic career, Tipton was the runner-up at the 2016 Ohio High School State Championship and placed third at the event in 20187. He has also competed in the Western Junior Championship (2018), U.S. Junior Championship (2017) and the Junior PGA Championship (2016-17).
"Trent has played in all the major events for junior golf: U.S. Junior, Junior PGA and the Western Junior. He is experienced on challenging golf courses which will help prepare him for golf in the Big 12 Conference. There are many things to like about Trent's game, but perhaps the best is his desire to compete."
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