Portland State's Choi Named Golfer of the Year
2014 All-Conference Team
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OGDEN, Utah (April 30, 2014) - Golfers from Big Sky Conference champion Portland State captured Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors on Wednesday, as the All-Conference team and individual award winners were announced.
Portland State junior A Ram Choi was a unanimous choice as the Player of the Year, and also one of three unanimous First Team All-Conference selections. Teammate Madisen Bentley was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year and also earned First-Team honors.
For the first time, the coaches selected the All-Conference team by a vote. From 1993-2004, the top 10 finishers at the conference tournament were selected to the All-Conference Team. From 2005-13, rankings provided by Golf Week or Golfstat were used to determine the squad.
Sacramento State senior Lisa Persson, and Southern Utah junior Monica Jung were also unanimous First Team selections. Northern Arizona senior Kaitlen Parsons rounded out the First Team. Parsons was also a First Team pick as sophomore in 2012. Choi was the only repeat First Team honoree.
Choi, from Surrey, B.C., captured medalist honors at the Big Sky Championship last week at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz. Choi carded a 54-hole total of 5-under-par 211. She tied the tournament single-round record with a 5-under-par 67 in the final round.
Choi averaged a league-low 73.55 strokes per round, winning two tournaments and finishing in the top 10 seven times in 10 events. She holds a Golfstat ranking of 52, more than 200 spots higher than the next Big Sky golfer.
Bentley, from University Place, Wash., averaged 75.79 stokes per round, the third-lowest in the league. She recorded five top-20 finishes in 10 events, and holds a ranking of 284.
Choi and Bentley led the Vikings to their seventh Big Sky Conference Championship. The Vikings won the meet by 15 shots over Sacramento State. The Vikings will represent the Big Sky in the NCAA West Regional in Cle Elum, Wash., May 8-10.
Persson, from Jonkoping, Sweden, finished third at the conference championship, and averaged 75.64 strokes per round with three top-five finishes. Persson led Sacramento State to a second-place finish at the conference tourney.
Jung, from Sydney, Australia, averaged 75.67 strokes per round with six top-10 finishes. Southern Utah placed third at the conference championship.
Parsons, from Greenacres, Wash., averaged 76 stokes per round with six top-10 finishes.
Six golfers were selected to the second team. Montana’s Tara Green and Barbora Bakova earned Second Team honors, along with Eastern Washington sophomore Marissa Borja, Northern Arizona sophomore Jacquie LeMarr, Sacramento State freshman Chloe Bartek, and Southern Utah freshman Taylor Viquelia.
Weber State’s Alli Cluff, Portland State’s Alyssa Waite, Montana’s Alexa Schendelman, Sacramento State’s Tiffany Nichols, and Montana State’s Kati Greear earned Honorable Mention Honors.
Portland State’s Kailin Downs was named the Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
Player of the Year
A Ram Choi, Jr., Portland State
Freshman of the Year
Madisen Bentley, Fr., Portland State
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
FIRST TEAM
|
Player |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
|
#*A Ram Choi |
Jr. |
Portland State |
Surrey, B.c. |
|
*Lisa Persson |
Sr. |
Sacarmento State |
Jonkoping, Sweden |
|
*Monica Jung |
Jr. |
Southern Utah |
Sydney Australia |
|
#Kaitlen Parsons |
Sr. |
Northern Arizona |
Greenacres, Wash. |
|
Madisen Bentley |
Fr. |
Portland State |
University Place, Wash. |
*Unanimous Selection
#Two-Time First Team All-Conference
SECOND TEAM
|
Player |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
|
Marissa Borja |
So. |
Eastern Washington |
Spring Valley, Calif. |
|
Tara Green |
Jr. |
Montana |
Harrisville, Utah |
|
Barbora Bakova |
Fr. |
Montana |
Olomouc, Czech Republic |
|
Chloe Bartek |
Fr. |
Sacramento State |
Vancouver, Wash. |
|
Jacquie LeMarr |
So. |
Northern Arizona |
Scottsdale, Ariz. |
|
Taylor Viquelia |
Fr. |
Southern Utah |
Koloa, Hawai'i |
HONORABLE MENTION
|
Player |
Year |
School |
Hometown |
|
Alli Cluff |
Sr. |
Weber State |
Ogden, Utah |
|
Alyssa Waite |
So. |
Portland State |
Oceanside, Calif. |
|
Alexa Schendelman |
Fr. |
Montana |
Gilbert, Ariz. |
|
Tiffany Nichols |
Sr. |
Sacramento State |
Castro Valley, Calif. |
|
Kati Greear |
So. |
Montana state |
Moscow, Idaho |