LONGVIEW, Texas -- For the first time in program history, the LeTourneau men's golf team has been selected to the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships, as the organization announced the field on Monday.

The 72-hole tournament features 43 teams and 221 players. The tournament runs May 16-19 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky.

A top 25 team for the entire season, LeTourneau earns its first trip to the championship tournament. The YellowJackets earned a Pool C bid and are one of two ASC teams in the field, joining conference champion UT Dallas. 

Under head coach J. Paul Leslie III,  LeTourneau is having its best seasons in program history in 2022-23. The YellowJackets have three tournament wins and four individual titles on the year, while being in the top 25 nationally all season. Leslie was named the ASC co-Coach of the Year after guiding his squad to the record-breaking season.

The YellowJackets were No. 2 in the NCAA region rankings, and currently ranked 17th in both the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches' Poll and the Golfstat.com rankings. LeTourneau was inside the top-10 in both the Golfstat and Bushnell/Golfweek polls at points during the season.

Senior Bryson Thurston has been one of the top players for LeTourneau all season. He was named the LeTourneau Male Athlete of the Year and moved up to 25th in the nation in the Golfstat national rankings after placing tied for ninth at the ASC Championships. The All-ASC first team selection, Thurston had back-to-back first place finishes in the spring and leads the team with a 73.58 scoring average and seven top-10 finishes. Thurston was a four-time ASC Golfer of the Week award winner, the most in a single-season in program history. 

Freshman Kaiden Schneider has jumped right into the mix in his first year. Named to the All-ASC second team, Schneider is second on the team with a 74.23 scoring average and five top-10s to go along with two medalist honors and two ASC Golfer of the Week awards.

Sophomore Corbin Barton earned All-ASC honorable mention and set the program's record for low round with a 6-under, 66 during the Tempest Intercollegiate in the fall. Barton is averaging a 75.12 on the year with four top-10s. Sophomore Reed Gesse joined Barton on the All-ASC honorable mention team as he tallied a pair of top-10 finishes.

The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the last fully completed round. Forty-three teams and six individuals not on one of those teams were selected to participate in the championships. After 36 holes of competition, the field will be cut to the top 18 teams and top six individuals not on one of those teams.