All-State golfer Ben Cooper '19 chose to continue his career at the University of Richmond.

Cooper recently picked the Spiders, as he enters his fifth and final year on the varsity team after earning a starting spot as an 8th grader. He's in unfamiliar territory now, as three of his best friends and current college golfers, Drew Brockwell '18 (Virginia Tech), Clifford Foster '18 (VCU) and Connor Johnson '18 (VT) have graduated.

Now, along with Alex Brown '19, he will captain the Saints in 2019.

"It's definitely going to be different. We lost three great guys," Cooper said. "It's a lot of young talent. It'll be a little bit of a rebuilding year...but we should still be pretty strong."

Strong is a word to describe Cooper's golf game. He's known for his long drives, but showed his total package this past June in winning the RGA Amateur, a tournament that included the three aforementioned Saints. He got a true taste of college competition that day for sure, and is ready for the next step.

"When it came down to it I felt really comfortable with the coach and the school fit," Cooper said. "I originally didn't think I'd want to end up so close to home, but after going through the campus with the coach I just felt really comfortable."