Five WCU Women's Golfer Named NGCA All-American Scholars
Catamounts led the SoCon with five selections
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina landed a Southern Conference-best five women's golfers on the 2011-12 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-American Scholar teams released on July 6. It is the 12th-straight year WCU has put golfers among the annual honorees with the five representing the most in program history.
WCU's trio of seniors in Christina Amoriello, Blaire Minter and Rachel Nelson were joined by first-year golfers Katie Kile and Maria Kjelldorff on the combined list of 585 women's collegiate golfers representing the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar team are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative grade point average is a 3.50.
Seven SoCon schools put golfers on the honorary list including two apiece from Elon, UNCG, Chattanooga and Wofford, while Appalachian State and Furman both had one selection. WCU was one of 13 NCAA Division I programs with five-or-more selections.
"The women's golf team at Western Carolina has had a long-standing tradition of academic excellence. Our student-athletes are extremely focused when it comes to their studies," said head coach Mallory Hetzel. "Having five NGCA All American Scholars in one year is almost unheard of in women's golf. It was nice to see our seniors end their careers with a well deserved award and equally impressive to see our freshman contribute to our academic success."
Hetzel added, "In addition to the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes, we can certainly give credit to Tony and Lynne Zande. The new team van gave our student-athletes more opportunities to study in a comfortable environment and complete assignments while on the road traveling to and from events. Also, a big ‘thank you' is due to our faculty and staff. They have consistently been understanding of our travel schedule and are always willing to work with our players to be sure they stay on track. We look forward to even more academic success for years to come."
Nelson earned the prestigious honor for the fourth time during her collegiate career joining former Catamounts Brandy Andersen (2002-06) and Bianca Melone (2003-07) to have collected the recognition all four years. Nelson boasted a cumulative GPA of 3.78, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in nutrition & dietetics.
Minter collected the third NGCA All-American Scholar of her four-year career, receiving a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a 3.61 cumulative GPA. Classmate Christina Amoriello finished with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication with a 3.88 overall GPA.
Freshmen Katie Kile held a grade point average of 3.76 in pre-nursing while Maria Kjelldorff holds a perfect 4.0 in electrical engineering.
All six of WCU's team members in 2011-12 were named to the SoCon Honor Roll, with all eligible players - the three seniors - placed on the Spring Academic All-Southern Conference squad.
Masamvu Earns NGCA All-America Scholar Honors
BOONE, N.C. - For a second-straight season, Appalachian State University women's golfer Rumbidzai Masamvu (Harare, Zimbabwe/Dominican Convent) notched All-American Scholar Team honors from the National Golf Coaches Association, the organization announced on Friday.
Golfers must hold a cumulative 3.50 grade point average through the 2011-12 season to be considered for the team.
Academic accolades are nothing new to the risk management and insurance major. Masamvu is a constant fixture on the ASU and Southern Conference honor rolls after earning NGCA honors last season as well. She earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in the fall as well.
The junior led Appalachian with a 77.46 stroke average over 26 rounds in 2011-12. She racked up seven top-10 finishes on the year, including second place at the Dayton/Hilton Head Invitational and sixth place in April's Southern Conference Tournament. Her single-season average was the third-best in program history and her career 78.15 stroke average ranks second in the ASU record book.
Masamvu is one of only 13 SoCon golfers to earn the honor and one of 585 NCAA student-athletes to be named to the team across all three divisions.
Head coach Heather Brown's squad returns the top five scoring leaders for the 2012-13 season.
Loza, Kryger Earn NGCA All-American Scholar Honors
It's the third such honor for Loza, first for Kryger
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Chattanooga Mocs women's golfers Maria Juliana Loza (Bucaramanga, Colombia) and Mette Kryger (Nivaa, Denmark) earned National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar honors for 2011-12. The NGCA announced a total of 585 honorees from NCAA Division I, II and III on Monday.
Loza is one of the most decorated Chattanooga student-athletes. Her career mirrors the program's commitment to establishing comprehensive excellence as the UTC standard.
Loza's 3.973 grade-point-average made her a three-time All-American Scholar. A four-year Dean's List student, she is the 2012 Dayle May Award winner for the Mocs women's athletics as the senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA. Maju's academic excellence has come in a very demanding discipline, Mechanical Engineering.
She is a two-time All-Southern Conference performer on the course. In 2011, she captured NCAA All-Central Regional mention for tying for eighth at Notre Dame's Warren Golf Course. Her finish is the best in school history for a women's golfer.
Kryger completed her first academic year with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She decided on her major of Communications during the academic year after beginning it undecided.
Mette competed in every event as a freshman. She was named to the SoCon's All-Freshman team finishing fourth on the squad in stroke average (78.13) while leading it in eagles with two. Her best finish was tied for 14th at the SoCon Championship.
The honor is not an easy one to attain. It requires a 3.50 GPA along with a playing component. It is the second straight year the Mocs had multiple awardees. Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Yushira Budhram (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Marion Duvernay (Publier, France) joined Loza on the team in 2010-11.
Hendricks and Thompson Earn NGCA All-American Scholar
CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. - Wofford women's golfers Alex Hendricks and Elizabeth Thompson were named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team.
To qualify for the award a player must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50.
A total of 602 women's golfers were recognized over the three NCAA divisions.
Gunnarsdottir Named To NGCA All-America Scholar Team
Greenville, S.C. -- Furman's Inga Gunnarsdottir has been named to the National Golf Coaches Association's (NGCA) All-America Scholar Team, it was announced this week.
Gunnarsdottir, a native of Kopavogur, Iceland, boasts a 3.64 grade point average and is majoring in business administration. She is one of 602 women's golfers in NCAA Division I, II and III to earn a spot on the team which requires a minimum 3.50 GPA.
The sophomore posted an 81.1 stroke average over 22 rounds during the 2011-12 season while recording a season-best round of 74 in October en route to a 21st place finish at the UNCG Starmount Classic.