HPU Women’s Golf’s Sarah Bae Named Big South Freshman Of The Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Freshman Sarah Bae was named the Big South Freshman of the Year and head coach Vici Pate Flesher was named the Big South Coach of the Year, the league announced on Friday. Bae was also named to the All-Conference team while junior Grier Bennett was named to the All-Academic team.

“The Big South is a strong golf conference and it is a compliment to have garnered these awards,” Flesher said. “The season was a success because of a total team effort, but to have individuals recognized by the conference coaches at the end of the season is an honor.”

Bae was unanimously selected as the Big South Freshman of the Year. She is the first HPU golfer to be named the Big South Freshman of the Year in program history. She is the first HPU golfer to be named to the All-Conference team prior to the conference championship since Kate O’Sullivan in 2005.

Bae leads the Panthers this season with a 74.28 stroke average, a new HPU single-season record. The freshman has posted seven top-five finishes and won the individual medal at both the Terrier Intercollegiate and the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate.

“Sarah had an outstanding Freshman year,” Flesher said. “Starting the season with two wins was thrilling and she gave herself the chance to win every tournament after that. Sarah’s consistency in tournaments and her numerous top-5 finishes enabled her to become not only the best freshman in the conference, but also one of the best overall players. Sarah was our leader on the golf course and has elevated the expectations for every player on the team now and those in the future.”

Bennett has a 3.47 GPA while majoring in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. The junior has played in every tournament for the Panthers this season and is second on the team with a 77.04 stroke average. She is on pace to post the second-lowest single-season stroke average in team history. Bennett has posted three top-five finishes this season and earned her first collegiate Individual Medal at the 2014 Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate.

“Grier is a model of leadership on our team, and that was evident this year as she improved on the course and in the classroom,” Flesher said. “She finished with a 4.0 in the Fall and it looks as though she will be close to that again in the Spring. As our captain, Grier has shown that you can succeed simultaneously at the highest levels both on and off the golf course.”

Flesher has helped guide the HPU women’s golf program to new heights this season. The Panthers have eight top-five finishes this season and four team titles, winning at the Terrier Intercollegiate, the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate, the Country Club of Spartanburg Invitational and the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate.

HPU set a new program record this season with a team stroke average of 304.92, besting the previous record of 314.80, which was also set under Flesher last season. The Panthers cracked the top-100 in the GolfStat Team Rankings for the first time in team history this season and earned the No. 3-seed in the upcoming Big South Championship, the team’s highest ever seed.

High Point will begin play at the 2014 Big South Women’s Golf Championship on Sunday, April 13. The three-day event will be hosted at the Patriot Golf Club in Ninety-Six, S.C. The Panthers will tee-off in the final groups along with top seeds Campbell and Coastal Carolina beginning at 9:40 a.m.

2014 Big South Conference Women’s Golf Award Winners

All-Conference Team
Kaylin Yost, Sr., Campbell
Sarah Bae, Fr., High Point
Amanda Steinhagen, Sr., Longwood
Lena Schaeffner, Soph., Coastal Carolina
Tahnia Ravnjak, Soph., Campbell
Marissa Hinchman, Soph., Coastal Carolina
Lisbeth Brooks, Jr., Campbell
Jennifer Dilger, Jr., Winthrop
Alexandra Prazak, Sr., Campbell
Frida Castillo, Jr., Coastal Carolina

All-Freshman Team
Sarah Bae, High Point
Louise Latorre, Campbell
Taylor Dodson, Gardner-Webb
Louise Jeppesen, Winthrop
Courtney Tolton, Longwood

All-Academic Team
Lisbeth Brooks, Jr., Campbell
Jordan Hollinshead, Sr., Charleston Southern
Frida Castillo, Jr., Coastal Carolina
Mary Katherine Donovan, Soph., Gardner-Webb
Grier Bennett, Jr., High Point
Hannah Pierce, Sr., Longwood
Kalie Goodman, Sr., Presbyterian College
Kirsty Condon, Sr., Radford
Jennifer Dilger, Jr., Winthrop

Golfer of the Year
Kaylin Yost, Sr., Campbell

Freshman of the Year
Sarah Bae, High Point (unanimous)

Coach of the Year
Vici Pate Flesher, High Point

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Kirsty Condon, Sr., Radford