Pirate Golfers Take Home Top Honors
April 17, 2008 | Women's Golf
April 17, 2008
IRVING, Texas - Conference USA announced its 2007 All-Conference first, second and third teams along with postseason award winners for women's golf, as selected by the conference's head coaches. East Carolina sophomore Abby Bools earned C-USA Player of the Year and All-Conference USA first-team recognition. Bools finished tied for fourth place at the 2008 C-USA Women's Golf Championship. ECU head coach Kevin Williams was named Coach of the Year after leading his team to wins in six of its seven tournaments and a second-place finish at the C-USA Championship.
Bools entered the C-USA Championship with a 74.67 stroke average (down from 77.96 in 2007) and captured two wins and four top-five finishes this spring. She was named C-USA Golfer of the Week two times in 2007-08 and was one of three Pirate golfers to record two medalist honors in the same season. She carded a personal-best round of 68 at the Myrtle Beach Classic earlier this year, which was the third-lowest round in school history.
Williams, who started the women's program at East Carolina in 2000, and coached the men and women at ECU before taking a club-pro job in 2006, returned this year to lead his team to wins in six of its first seven tournaments--more than any other Division I women's program. In the process, he led the Pirates to a school-record victory streak of five.
Pirate Amber Littman was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Littman had a stroke average of 74.39 entering the C-USA Championship and finished tied for seventh in the individual standings. Littman was a two-time C-USA Golfer of the Week selection in 2007-08. She closed out the fall season by claiming individual medalist honors at the UAB Beach Bash. The Stoney Creek, N.C. native recorded her third top three finish and fourth top 20 placement in five tournaments at the event.
Both Bools and Littman are the first Pirates to receive C-USA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors on the links.
Tulsa junior Woori Shin, the 2008 C-USA Women's Golf Individual Champion, claimed the league's Newcomer of the Year honors. Shin fired one of the championships two rounds of under par golf with a 71 in round two and carded a four-over-par 220 to claim medalist honors. Her efforts helped the Golden Hurricane to the 2008 team title. Shin entered the C-USA Championship as the reigning C-USA Golfer of the Week and claimed the honor twice in 2007-08. Shin registered four top-five finishes this spring.
Seven league teams were represented on the All-Conference USA teams. UCF led all C-USA teams with four all-league selections, while East Carolina had three all-conference selections and claimed three of the four specialty awards. Tulsa also had three all-conference selections to go along with one specialty award. SMU was next with two all-league honors. Championship host UTEP, along with Memphis and Southern Miss each had one honoree.
2008 Conference USA Women's Golf Postseason Awards
All-Conference USA First Team
Abby Bools, East Carolina
Michaela Cavener, Tulsa
Emelie Lind, East Carolina
Amber Littman, East Carolina
Mayule Tommimbang, UCF
All-Conference USA Second Team
Kate Ackerson, SMU
Stephanie Connelly, UCF
Tara Goedeken, Tulsa
Lacey Jones, SMU
Jessy Tang, UCF
All-Conference Third Team
Leigh Crosby, UCF
Virginia Espejo, Southern Miss
Leisl Hasbrouck, Tulsa
Rachel Larson, Memphis
Deborah Martinez, UTEP
Coach of the Year: Kevin Williamsn, East Carolina
Player of the Year: Abby Bools, East Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Amber Littman, East Carolina
Newcomer of the Year: Woori Shin, Tulsa
