Men's Golf Release courtesy of the Southern Virginia Athletic Communications Department

Southern Virginia's Taggart Named All-Region

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. — NCAA Division III PING All-Region honors were announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), with players from seven regions and 58 schools earning recognition in 2026.

Southern Virginia University was represented by Nikko Taggart, who became just the second men's golfer in program history to earn All-Region honors, joining Nathan Preslar (2021).

Taggart was named to the Region IV Team after an outstanding junior campaign in which he posted a 71.2 scoring average. He also captured an individual title at the Chick-fil-A Invitational, finishing 7-under-par to take first place.

Taggart will conclude his season at the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, with first-round play beginning Tuesday, May 12.

For continued coverage of Southern Virginia University golf, visit knightathletics.com or follow @knightmgolf on Instagram.

Press Release

About PING:

PING designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, wedges, putters and golf bags. The family-owned company was founded in 1959 in the garage of the late Karsten Solheim, a mechanical engineer with an extensive background in the aerospace and computer industries. His frustration with his putting inspired him to design his own putter, which created a "pinging" sound when striking a golf ball. This sound was the source of the name now synonymous with innovation, quality and service throughout the world of golf. Solheim and his company are credited with numerous innovations that became industry standards, including perimeter weighting, custom fitting and the use of investment casting in the manufacturing of golf clubs. His insistence on adhering to strict engineering principles and tight manufacturing tolerances raised the level of product performance and quality throughout the golf industry. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction of Solheim's grandson, John K. Solheim, who leads a team of more than 800 dedicated employees committed to helping improve the games of golfers around the world.