UC Davis continues to rake in the hardware following its top season in DI competition as Aggie junior Alice Kim claimed Big West Women’s Golfer of the Year honors. UCD also nabbed the Freshman of the Year in Amy Simanton, while Aggie head coach Anne Walker was dubbed the Coach of the Year.
Kim, who has now achieved first team All-Big West status in each of her three seasons, owns the second-lowest stroke average in the Big West (74.8), posted the second-best low round in the league to this point (67) and spent a majority of the season ranked in the top 100 of Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. The Walnut, Calif., native also picked up six top ten finishes in her 10 events this season, with three of those resulting in top five placings. At the Big West Championship, Kim was one of only two players to post an even-par round on the way to a fifth place finish.
Simanton, who hails from Lake Oswego, Ore., was stellar throughout her rookie campaign for the Aggies. The rookie owns a 75.2 stroke average, fourth-best on the team, and posted a low round of 68 in just her fourth collegiate tournament in early November. Simanton was a consistent finisher for UCD, posting seven top 20 finishes, including five in the top five, in 10 events. At the Big West Championship, Simanton finished in a tie for first with teammate Chelsea Stelzmiller, but fell in the third hole in a playoff.
Walker is the first Coach of the Year recipient for UC Davis in its short DI history. The Aggies had a tremendous season which included the Big West championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional tournament in only its third season of Division I competition. The club finished in the top five in seven of its nine tournaments, is currently ranked #31 in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings and came away with first place showings in three competitions. UCD is also the first team to sweep the major awards since Long Beach State accomplished the feat in the 2005 season.
UC Davis also dominated the All-Conference selections as four of the six first team selections went to the Aggies. Long Beach State and UC Irvine claimed the final two first team slots. The complete teams are listed below:
Big West Women’s Golfer of the Year
Alice Kim, UC Davis
Big West Freshman of the Year
Amy Simanton, UC Davis
Big West Women’s Golf Coach of the Year
Anne Walker, UC Davis
First Team All-Big West
Simone Hoey, Long Beach State
Alice Kim, UC Davis
Hillary Packard, UC Irvine
Demi Runas, UC Davis
Amy Simanton, UC Davis
Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC Davis
Second Team All-Big West
Amelia Ek, UC Riverside
Maddy Fletcher, Cal Poly
Kimberly Johnson, UC Davis
Lalita Patipaksiri, UC Irvine
Noelle Zavaleta, Long Beach State
Honorable Mention All-Big West
Margo Dionisio, Cal State Northridge
Lindsey McAtee, Long Beach State
Ashlee Nagamine, Cal State Northridge
Julia Puscheck, Cal Poly
Monica Villarreal, Long Beach State