CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Four Fighting Illini women's golfers were named Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars for their efforts in the classroom as announced by the association on Monday morning.
Rising senior Tristyn Nowlin and rising Illini sophomore trio of Kornkamol Sukaree, Crystal Wang, and Katie Hallinan were recognized by the WGCA.
"We are very proud of Katie (Hallinan), Tristyn (Nowlin), Stang (Sukaree), and Crystal (Wang) for their commitment to academic and athletic success," said head coach Renee Slone. "Thank you to Kathy Kaler and the Irwin staff for their assistance in providing the resources to enable our team members to achieve this honor."
A total of 1,097 women's collegiate golfers were recognized with the prestigious honor by the WGCA. Under some of the most rigorous criteria in college athletics, student-athletes must have a cumulative 3.50 GPA or higher to be named to the All-American Scholar Team.
Nowlin has garnered the honors for three years, while it marks a career first for Sukaree, Wang, and Hallinan. The Illini also earned three spots on the Academic All-Big Ten team with Nowlin among the honorees.
Breaking many records, the Illini women's golf program had another historic season finishing No. 19 in the final Golfweek rankings and making their first NCAA Championship appearance in program history. The squad also had a program best finish at NCAA Regionals, placing fifth overall to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships. Illinois also matched a program best finish with another runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships.
Individually, head coach Slone was also the first coach in program history to earn Big Ten Coach of the Year, while matching a program best of four All-Big Ten honorees.
The Illini will return rising senior Nowlin, rising junior Ali Morallos, and underclassmen in Sukaree, Wang, Hallinan, and Sarah Hauenstein. The program will also welcome newcomer Siyan Chen (Hangzhou, China) for the upcoming season.
Follow the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA)
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent. For more information, visit wgcagolf.com.
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