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Northern Arizona golfer Sophia Choi has captured the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year Award, becoming the first player in league history to win the honor three times.

The Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and All-Conference Team were released Monday. Rankings provided by Golfstat were used to determine the All-Conference team and individual award winners.

Choi, a senior from Chandler, Ariz., finished the regular season with a Golfstat ranking of 157. She played in nine tournaments, averaging 75.81 strokes per round. Choi won her first tournament of the season, the NAU LaQuinta Mountain Shootout. She tied for second at the Cal Poly tournament, and finished second at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz.

Choi made the All-Conference team four consecutive seasons, becoming just the third player in league history to accomplish the feat. Montana State’s Jen McGregor was All-Conference from 1993-1996. Northern Arizona’s Louise Davis was All-Conference from 1997-2000.

Prior to 2005, the top 10 finishers at the conference championship were named to the All-Conference Team. From 2005-07, the Big Sky used Golfweek.com rankings to determine the All-Conference Team.

As a freshman in 2005, Choi won the Big Sky Championship. She’ll gun for her second title beginning next Monday at the 2008 Big Sky Championship at Foothills Golf Club in Phoenix, Ariz.

Eastern Washington’s Kristina Gargaro claimed the Freshman of the Year award. The left-hander from Port Moody, B.C., had a Golfstat ranking of 314. Gargaro has played in nine tournaments this season, compiling an average of 77.13 strokes per round. Gargaro recorded three top-10 finishes, including medalist honors last week at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic.

Eastern Washington, which is ranked 55th nationally in the Golfstat rankings, placed three players on the All-Conference First Team.Juniors Marli Mikulecky and Chloe Nelson joined Gargaro on the first team. Mikulecky has a ranking of 235, while Nelson has a ranking of 251. Mikulecky averaged 76.52 strokes per round, and shot a school-record 67 in the final round of UNLV’s spring tournament. Nelson averaged 76.67 strokes per round, and finished in the top five twice.

Northern Colorado senior Jenny Henderson rounded out the first team. Henderson averaged 77.78 strokes per round, and took medalist honors at the UMKC Kenneth Smith Golf Classic last September.

Portland State’s Kayla Morinaga, Sacramento State’s Heather LeMaster, Northern Arizona’s Ali Carter, Eastern Washington’s Kellie Holmstedt and Northern Arizona’s Dakin Banta earned  Second-Team All-Conference honors.

First Team

$Four-Time Selection

Second Team