Northwestern University Athletics
Hannah Kim, Stephanie Lau Earn WGCA All-America Honors
5/25/2016 1:40:00 PM | Women's Golf
EVANSTON, Ill. – Sophomore Hannah Kim and freshman Stephanie Lau have been named 2016 Women's Golf Coaches Association All-Americans, the WGCA announced on Tuesday. Kim is the first student-athlete in program history to earn First Team honors, while Lau is the first Wildcats golfer to ever be named to the Second Team.
Kim is the first back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year in program history, and the Conference's first repeat winner since 2009. She led Northwestern in scoring (71.94), Top-10 finishes (5) and Top-20 finishes (9) this season. Kim's 71.94 scoring average this year is a Wildcats single-season record. She now owns two of the Top-7 seasons in Northwestern golf history, as well as the best career stroke average.
"Hannah has rewritten our record book over that past two years and to see it capped off with a First Team selection is only fitting," said Wildcats head coach Emily Fletcher. "She is a tireless worker who strives to improve each day. This honor is well deserved and we are thrilled for her."
The Chula Vista, California, native, won the 2016 Hurricane Invite with a program-record 199, eclipsing the previous Wildcats mark by seven strokes, including a final round 64, the lowest 18-hole score in Northwestern history. This season she picked up her second consecutive Top-10 finish at the Big Ten Championships, and she is the first player in program history to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors as both a freshman and sophomore.
In addition to being the first First Team All-American in women's program history, Kim is the first Northwestern golfer, male or female, to earn First Team laurels since Luke Donald in 1999.
Lau was Northwestern's top finisher at the 2016 NCAA Championships (T11) and then 2016 Big Ten Championships, earning a share of fourth-place (-5) and securing the title for the Wildcats with a must-have, 10-foot par putt on No. 18 on Sunday. She ranked second on the team, and in the Conference, in scoring average (72.13), recorded more rounds in the 60's this season than any Wildcats golfer (6), and led the team in rounds played at par-or-better (20). The Fullerton, California, native established the school 54-hole scoring record (since broken) en route to a season-best third-place finish at the Mason Rudolph Invitational in the fall.
"Steph is relentless in her pursuit of continual improvement, to see it lead to an All-American recognition is thrilling," said Fletcher. "She has a love for golf and for competition that is second to none. We are so proud of what both these players have accomplished this year. We have waited eight years to see one of our student-athletes recognized as a WGCA All-American, to have Hannah earn First Team and Stephanie be on the Second Team is tremendous."
The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American Teams include head-to-head competition, comparison with common opponents, scoring average, place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins, and strength of schedule.
Last season Suchaya Tangkamolprasert earned the first All-America honor in women's golf program history, an Honorable Mention nod.
WGCA First Team All-Americans
Hannah Kim, Sophomore, Northwestern University
Virginia Elena Carta, Freshman, Duke University
Katelyn Dambaugh, Junior, University of South Carolina
Lauren Kim, Senior, Stanford University
Cheyenne Knight, Freshman, University of Alabama
Bronte Law, Junior, UCLA
Leona Maguire, Sophomore, Duke University
Anna Newell, Sophomore, University of Tennessee
Linnea Strom, Freshman, Arizona State University
Bailey Tardy, Freshman, University of Georgia
Lilia Vu, Freshman, UCLA
WGCA Second Team All-Americans
Stephanie Lau, Freshman, Northwestern
Tiffany Chan, Junior, University of Southern California
Lauren Coughlin, Senior, University of Virginia
Esther Lee, Junior, University of Colorado
Harang Lee, Junior, University of Georgia
Laura Lonardi, Senior, Baylor University
Robynn Ree, Freshman, University of Southern California
Frida Gustafsson Spang, Senior, East Carolina University
Mariah Stackhouse, Senior, Stanford University
Charlotte Thomas, Senior, University of Washington
Emma Talley, Senior, University of Alabama
Monica Vaughn, Junior, Arizona State University
WGCA Honorable Mention All-Americans
Gabby Barker, Sophomore, Texas Tech University
Sarah Burnham, Sophomore, Michigan State University
Karen Chung, Junior, University of Southern California
Sandy Choi, Junior, Duke University
Marissa Chow, Senior, Pepperdine University
Daniela Darquea, Junior, University of Miami
Maria Fassi, Freshman, University of Arkansas
Emma Henrikson, Senior, San Diego State University
Jillian Hollis, Freshman, University of Georgia
Linnea Johansson, Junior, Oklahoma State University
Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Senior, University of Kansas
Jennifer Kupcho, Freshman, Wake Forest University
Ying Luo, Senior, University of Washington
Elizabeth Szokol, Senior, University of Virginia
Maria Torres, Junior, University of Florida
Dewi Weber, Freshman, University of Miami
Bethany Wu, Freshman, UCLA
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 nearly 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.
Sophomore Hannah Kim, freshman Stephanie Lau earn @WGCAGOLF All-America honors. #B1GCats https://t.co/kmbqdBDmcF pic.twitter.com/DpauGwJmJ9
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 25, 2016
Kim is the first back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year in program history, and the Conference's first repeat winner since 2009. She led Northwestern in scoring (71.94), Top-10 finishes (5) and Top-20 finishes (9) this season. Kim's 71.94 scoring average this year is a Wildcats single-season record. She now owns two of the Top-7 seasons in Northwestern golf history, as well as the best career stroke average.
"Hannah has rewritten our record book over that past two years and to see it capped off with a First Team selection is only fitting," said Wildcats head coach Emily Fletcher. "She is a tireless worker who strives to improve each day. This honor is well deserved and we are thrilled for her."
The Chula Vista, California, native, won the 2016 Hurricane Invite with a program-record 199, eclipsing the previous Wildcats mark by seven strokes, including a final round 64, the lowest 18-hole score in Northwestern history. This season she picked up her second consecutive Top-10 finish at the Big Ten Championships, and she is the first player in program history to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors as both a freshman and sophomore.
In addition to being the first First Team All-American in women's program history, Kim is the first Northwestern golfer, male or female, to earn First Team laurels since Luke Donald in 1999.
Lau was Northwestern's top finisher at the 2016 NCAA Championships (T11) and then 2016 Big Ten Championships, earning a share of fourth-place (-5) and securing the title for the Wildcats with a must-have, 10-foot par putt on No. 18 on Sunday. She ranked second on the team, and in the Conference, in scoring average (72.13), recorded more rounds in the 60's this season than any Wildcats golfer (6), and led the team in rounds played at par-or-better (20). The Fullerton, California, native established the school 54-hole scoring record (since broken) en route to a season-best third-place finish at the Mason Rudolph Invitational in the fall.
"Steph is relentless in her pursuit of continual improvement, to see it lead to an All-American recognition is thrilling," said Fletcher. "She has a love for golf and for competition that is second to none. We are so proud of what both these players have accomplished this year. We have waited eight years to see one of our student-athletes recognized as a WGCA All-American, to have Hannah earn First Team and Stephanie be on the Second Team is tremendous."
The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American Teams include head-to-head competition, comparison with common opponents, scoring average, place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins, and strength of schedule.
Last season Suchaya Tangkamolprasert earned the first All-America honor in women's golf program history, an Honorable Mention nod.
WGCA First Team All-Americans
Hannah Kim, Sophomore, Northwestern University
Virginia Elena Carta, Freshman, Duke University
Katelyn Dambaugh, Junior, University of South Carolina
Lauren Kim, Senior, Stanford University
Cheyenne Knight, Freshman, University of Alabama
Bronte Law, Junior, UCLA
Leona Maguire, Sophomore, Duke University
Anna Newell, Sophomore, University of Tennessee
Linnea Strom, Freshman, Arizona State University
Bailey Tardy, Freshman, University of Georgia
Lilia Vu, Freshman, UCLA
WGCA Second Team All-Americans
Stephanie Lau, Freshman, Northwestern
Tiffany Chan, Junior, University of Southern California
Lauren Coughlin, Senior, University of Virginia
Esther Lee, Junior, University of Colorado
Harang Lee, Junior, University of Georgia
Laura Lonardi, Senior, Baylor University
Robynn Ree, Freshman, University of Southern California
Frida Gustafsson Spang, Senior, East Carolina University
Mariah Stackhouse, Senior, Stanford University
Charlotte Thomas, Senior, University of Washington
Emma Talley, Senior, University of Alabama
Monica Vaughn, Junior, Arizona State University
WGCA Honorable Mention All-Americans
Gabby Barker, Sophomore, Texas Tech University
Sarah Burnham, Sophomore, Michigan State University
Karen Chung, Junior, University of Southern California
Sandy Choi, Junior, Duke University
Marissa Chow, Senior, Pepperdine University
Daniela Darquea, Junior, University of Miami
Maria Fassi, Freshman, University of Arkansas
Emma Henrikson, Senior, San Diego State University
Jillian Hollis, Freshman, University of Georgia
Linnea Johansson, Junior, Oklahoma State University
Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Senior, University of Kansas
Jennifer Kupcho, Freshman, Wake Forest University
Ying Luo, Senior, University of Washington
Elizabeth Szokol, Senior, University of Virginia
Maria Torres, Junior, University of Florida
Dewi Weber, Freshman, University of Miami
Bethany Wu, Freshman, UCLA
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 nearly 600 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.
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