IRVINE, Calif.--While a first-place finish wasn't in the cards this year for the Hawai`i Hilo men's golf team, top honors were bestowed upon a pair of Vulcans by the conference coaches.

Senior Jared Kinoshita was selected as the Pacific West Conference Player of the Year, and rookie Andrew Otani was named the PacWest Freshman of the Year, announced today (Thursday) by the conference office.

Kinoshita was also named to the five-member All-PacWest First Team squad. It was the second time that the Bakersfield, Calif. native has been named All-PacWest as he also earned First Team honors in 2018.

Kinoshita, who will compete in the NCAA West Regional tournament next week in St. George, Utah, has a 18-hole average this year of 72.42, currently third best in school history. He won the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate last fall with a scorching three-day score of -11, a Vulcan school record. He shot a 65 on the first day, tying the UHH single-round record.

The four-year Vulcan standout finished tied for 12th in the all Division I field at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate, and was seventh at the PacWest Championships last week. He is the top ranked golfer in the PacWest heading into the regional tournament.

Otani, who was listed fourth on the Vulcan ladder heading into the tournament, surprised everyone at the PacWest Championships by making a run for the title. He held leads in the first and third rounds, and finished fourth overall. He shot season bests of 73-71-73 for a three round total of +1.

The Oahu native (Iolani School) is UH Hilo's first PacWest Freshman of the Year. Kinoshita is just UHH's second Player of the Year, as Corey Kozuma shared the 2012-13 honor.

For a complete list of the All-PacWest teams and awards, click here.