Lamar’s Wenny Chang Named Women’s Golfer of the Year
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Lamar sophomore Wenny Chang was named the 2014-15 Southland Conference Women's Golfer of the Year after a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors, the league office announced Thursday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference teams.
Chang is the second Lady Cardinal to be named golfer of the year, joining Therese Nilsson (2007). A native of Hsinchu, Taiwan, Chang is making her second straight all-conference first team after earning the distinction last season as a freshman. Chang averaged a score of 74.11 in 28 rounds of play. Chang finished in the top 10 six times, including finishing first or second in her last three tournaments with a tie for first in the conference championship. Chang, who lost out on the top medalist honors in a one-hole playoff at the league championship, has fired nine rounds of even par or lower with a low round of 67 on the season.
Other postseason awards went to Central Arkansas’ Fernanda Lira, who was named freshman of the year and Central Arkansas coach Natasha Vincent, who was selected as the conference’s coach of the year.
Lira became the first UCA golfer to be named freshman of the year after posting a 75.63 stroke overage in 27 rounds on the season. The Mexico City, Mexico, native, was tabbed to the league’s all-conference first team and has six top-six finishes on the season with a tie for first at the Islander Classic, Feb. 23-24, and a win at the Arkansas Little Rock/Arkansas State Women’s Golf Classic, March 30-31. Lira tied for 15th at the conference tournament.
Vincent won her first coach of the year honor after leading the Bears to a second-place finish at the conference championship. Vincent is the first UCA coach to earn the distinction. UCA won two tournaments on the season with wins at the Islander Classic and the UALR/ASU Women’s Golf Classic.
A trio of sophomores rounds out the first-team all-conference selections with Paige Nelson of Sam Houston State, Kelly Erasmus of Lamar and Jessica White of Stephen F. Austin.
Nelson recorded the second-best stroke average in the Southland with a 74.46 average score in 28 rounds. The Farmers Branch, Texas, native, tied for fourth at the conference tournament and has seven top-10 finishes on the season, including a win at the Louisiana-Monroe Fred Marx Invitational, Sept. 22-23.
Erasmus tied with Nelson for fourth in the league championship and averaged 75.68 strokes in 28 rounds. The sophomore from Cape Town, South Africa, has two top-five finishes on the season and tied for first at the Islander Classic in February.
White earned first-team honors after becoming the first Ladyjack to win medalist honors after defeating Lamar’s Chang in a one-hole playoff at the Southland Championship. White, who hails from Mansfield, Texas, has five top-10 finishes on the season with four of those finishing coming in the spring. White carded 77.21 strokes per round in 28 rounds.
Earning second-team all-conference are Houston Baptist freshman Giorgia Carletti and senior Rachel Mulkey, Sam Houston State senior Alisa White, Lamar junior Taylor Stockton and Central Arkansas senior Malin Senneryd.
Lamar leads all schools with three all-conference selections while Sam Houston State, Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist each had two honorees. Stephen F. Austin completed the all-conference team with one selection. Four golfers made a return appearance on the all-conference teams with Chang, Mulkey, White and Stockton all making their second honor.
2014-15 All-Southland Conference Women’s Golf Teams
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First Team |
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Name |
University |
Class |
Avg. (Rds.) |
Low |
Wins |
Top 10 |
Hometown |
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Wenny Chang2 |
Lamar |
So. |
74.11 (28) |
67 |
1 |
6 |
Hsinchu, Taiwan |
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Paige Nelson |
Sam Houston State |
So. |
74.46 (28) |
70 |
1 |
7 |
Farmers Branch, Texas |
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Fernanda Lira |
Central Arkansas |
Fr. |
75.63 (27) |
69 |
2 |
6 |
Mexico City, Mexico |
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Kelly Erasmus |
Lamar |
So. |
75.68 (28) |
72 |
1 |
2 |
Cape Town, South Africa |
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Jessica White |
Stephen F. Austin |
So. |
77.21 (28) |
70 |
1 |
5 |
Mansfield, Texas |
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Second Team |
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Name |
University |
Class |
Avg. (Rds.) |
Low |
Wins |
Top 10 |
Hometown |
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Giorgia Carletti |
Houston Baptist |
Fr. |
75.21 (14) |
68 |
0 |
3 |
Milano, Italy |
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Rachel Mulkey2 |
Houston Baptist |
Sr. |
75.52 (25) |
70 |
0 |
4 |
Flower Mound, Texas |
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Alisa White2 |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
75.79 (28) |
70 |
1 |
6 |
Hereford, Texas |
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Taylor Stockton2 |
Lamar |
Jr. |
76.00 (28) |
70 |
0 |
1 |
Clear Lake, Texas |
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Malin Senneryd |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
76.33 (27) |
71 |
0 |
2 |
Linkoping, Sweden |
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Honorable Mention: Erica Lautensack, Stephen F. Austin; Jaimie Bibby, UIW; Brenda Gonzalez, Central Arkansas; Nghi Ngo, Lamar; Sarah Black, Sam Houston State.
2Two-Time All-Conference
Golfer of the Year: Wenny Chang, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Fernanda Lira, Central Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Natasha Vincent, Central Arkansas