ROSEMONT, Ill. – Illinois Women's Golf freshman Bing Singhsumalee has been named to the 14-member All-Big Ten Team as announced by the Big Ten Conference office on April 26, 2016. Singhsumalee becomes just the second golfer in the program to earn All-Big Ten status during her debut season. The Naperville, Illinois, native is the ninth golfer in Illinois team history to attain All-Big Ten recognition and accounts for the program's 17th honoree overall.
"I am very excited for Bing, this is a well-deserved honor for her," Illinois head coach Renee Slone shared. "She has had a fantastic freshman campaign and I am fully confident that it is only going to get better from here. Bing finished the season very strongly at the Big Ten Championship and started it off with quite the bang with a 66 (-6) in her collegiate debut as well. There have definitely been a number of significant highlights already in just her first season."
Singhsumalee is coming off of a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championship where she shot a 5-under-par 211 across the 54 holes to tie the third-best Illinois mark in the record book. Singhsumalee was named to the All-Championship Team for her efforts.
Additionally, Singhsumalee led the Illinois team with the lowest season stroke average at 73.94 per round, which earned the freshman a slot in the record book for best single season stroke average in program history. Singhsumalee surpassed her own coach, formerly Renee Heiken, who set the Illinois record for lowest single season stroke average during the 1992-93 season with an average of 74.33 over 33 rounds.
On the season, Singhsumalee led the Orange and Blue by carding seven rounds below par in addition to two even-par rounds. The lone freshman on the UI squad also tallied a team-best five team-leading performances during the season.
Most recently, Ember Schuldt earned the All-Big Ten laurel during the 2013-14 campaign and Seul Ki Park prior to her in 2007-08. Becky Biehl became the first Illini freshman to collect All-Big Ten status during the 1991-92 campaign.
"Bing joins very elite company, which creates a wonderful opportunity for her to grow and develop and really make an impact on our program," said Slone.
Also earning recognition was Illini sophomore Pailin Ruttanasupagid, who was named a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree following her first Big Ten Championship appearance in Indianapolis over the weekend.
2016 BIG TEN WOMEN'S GOLF ALL-CONFERENCE AND INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS
Big Ten Player of the Year: Hannah Kim, Northwestern
Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Stephanie Lau, Northwestern
Big Ten Coach of the Year: Emily Fletcher, Northwestern
First Team All-Big Ten
Sarah Burnham, Michigan State
Sarah Cho, Northwestern
Hannah Kim, Northwestern
Katja Pogacar, Ohio State
Jessica Porvasnik, Ohio State
August Kim, Purdue
Second Team All-Big Ten
Bing Singhsumalee, Illinois
Camille Chevalier, Indiana
Amy Ihm, Iowa
Grace Choi, Michigan
Katie Sharp, Michigan State
Janet Mao, Northwestern
Anna Appert Lund, Purdue
Brooke Ferrell, Wisconsin
Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Pailin Ruttanasupagid, Illinois
Ana Sunjuan, Indiana
Amy Ihm, Iowa
Ludovica Farina, Maryland
Grace Choi, Michigan
Katie Sharp, Michigan State
Emie Peronnin, Minnesota
Cassie Deeg, Nebraska
Suchaya Tangkamolprasert, Northwestern
Rio Watanabe, Ohio State
Halley Morell, Penn State
Anna Appert Lund, Purdue
Racquel Zurick, Rutgers
Michelle Cheung, Wisconsin
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