April 30, 2012
IRVING, Texas -
University of Tulsa junior golfer Kristina Merkle was named the Conference USA Women's Golfer of the Year, while Head Coach Randy Keck was selected as the C-USA Coach of the Year. Merkle was joined on the C-USA first-team by senior Marita Engzelius, while senior Kamryn Ruffin was a third-team selection, it was announced today by the league office.
Keck led Tulsa to its second C-USA Women's Golf Championship title, topping the field by 13 strokes at the Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Golden Hurricane posted a three-round total of 884 (299-291-294), just the fifth sub-900 score for a team champion in the event's 17-year history.
The Coach of the Year honor is the first in Tulsa's C-USA women's golf history.
Merkle earned Player of the Year honors after posting four top five finishes against some of the strongest competition in the country. The 2012 C-USA All-Tournament Team member earned those finishes against fields that included a combined 29 top 50 teams and helped the Golden Hurricane register seven top-five team finishes, including the C-USA crown. She has recorded a 72.9 stroke average in 27 rounds this year.
Currently ranked as the No. 35 golfer in the nation by Golfweek, the junior was named the league's Golfer of the Week three times this season and is a three-time first team all-conference performer.
Engzelius tied for third at the C-USA Championship after holding the second round lead. She now has two top three finishes at the league championship and now adds a third all-conference selection (2011, 2009 second team). Engzelius was one of three golfers to post a round below par at the C-USA tournament and currently is ranked no. 95 by Golfweek. She has a 74.4 stroke average in 27 rounds this season and has eight top-25 finishes in nine events this season.
Ruffin had a season-best seventh-place finish at the C-USA Championship last week and is third on the Tulsa roster with a 76.1 stroke average.
2012 All-C-USA Women's Golf Teams
Golfer of the Year: Kristina Merkle, Tulsa
Freshman of the Year: Katie Mitchell, UCF
Newcomer of the Year: Kristyn Morrone, Marshall
Coach of the Year: Randy Keck, Tulsa
All-Conference USA First Team
Amy Otteson, East Carolina
Marissa Steen, Memphis
Maribel Lopez Porras, Tulane
Kristina Merkle, Tulsa
Marita Engzelius, Tulsa
All-Conference USA Second Team
Fanny Wolte, East Carolina
Felicia Espericueta, SMU
Katie Mitchell, UCF
Carolin Pinegger, UCF
Shang Fan Huang, UTEP
All-Conference USA Third Team
Katie Kirk, East Carolina
Gemma Dryburgh, Tulane
Ashley McKenney, Tulane
Samantha Troyanovich, Tulane
Kamryn Ruffin, Tulsa
Monifa Sealy, UCF
In eight years as a member of Conference USA, Tulsa athletic teams have won a league-best 48 conference championships.
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Purchase your season football tickets today online or by calling 918.631.GoTU. Family of four can see all six home games for under $200.
Since the opening of the Donald W. Reynolds Center in 1998, Tulsa’s athletic facilities have undergone a major facelift. New facilities include the Michael D. Case Tennis Center, the Collins Family Softball Complex, the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium, the J. Bird Sr. Shell Nest, the Jack Zink Indoor Rowing Center, the Case Athletic Complex and major renovation to H.A. Chapman Stadium.
TU is 75th among national doctoral universities in U. S. News & World Report's 2012 edition of America's Best Colleges. TU's 2011 freshman class had a mean cumulative grade point average of 3.8, and 74 percent graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes. Their average ACT was 28.
The Golden Hurricane Club, as the primary fundraising arm of TU Athletics, works to provide every TU student-athlete with the opportunity to realize a world-class athletic and academic experience.
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