July 25, 2008

IRVING, Texas – The National Golf Coaches Association recently announced its 2007-08 All-American Scholar Team and its overall team GPA award recipients. A total of nine Conference USA student-athletes were recognized with this prestigious honor. The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the toughest in college athletics. The minimum GPA is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50% of their school’s regularly schedule competitive rounds.

Marshall led the way with four selections, including marketing majors Larie Lynch and Whitney Wolejko, management major Andrea Grier and Molly Ginger, who is enrolled in the sports management and marketing program.

East Carolina had two selections, Abby Bools and Colleen Estes. Bools, a two-time C-USA Golfer of the Week in 2007-08, maintains a 3.71 GPA in history and was also named to the C-USA All-Academic Team. Estes is an exercise and sport science major.

Kate Ackerson of SMU is a three-time NGCA All-American Scholar and also a two-time C-USA All-Academic performer. In addition, Ackerson is a three-time All-Conference USA selection.

Tulsa’s Tara Goedeken was also named to the team, along with UCF’s Katie Detlefson. Goedeken, a transfer from Wichita State, has been a Dean's List member all three of her semesters at Tulsa, while Detelfsen is an honor roll student as an advertising and public relations major.

The NGCA also recognized the Thundering Herd's team academic achievements in 2007-08. The team finished the year with a cumulative GPA of 3.655, the sixth highest average in the country. The University of South Alabama, who recorded the highest GPA (3.734), received the All-Scholar Team GPA Award. Below is a list of the ten teams with the highest GPA's for the year.

The NGCA founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. Today, the NGCA represents nearly 500 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.