May
17, 2009
(portions of this release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College
sports information, and Mark Adkins, Wartburg College sports information)
PORT
ST. LUCIE, FLA. . . . Freshman Sarah Paulson
(Ottumwa, Iowa/Ottumwa) became the first Central College women’s
golfer to earn Duramed National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA)
Division III All-America honors, as she was named to the Honorable
Mention team after tying for sixth place at the 2009 NCAA Division
III Women's Golf Championship.
Paulson shot 75-72-81-86—314 at the 5,831-yard, par-72
Wanamaker course at the PGA Village. Susan Martin of Methodist
Univ. (N.C.) cruised to the individual crown at 73-71-73-77—294.
Jessica Urban of Wis.-Stevens Point was three shots back at
75-74-75-73—297 and Marisa Mauldin of Southwestern Univ.
(Texas) was third at 81-72-79-79—311. Paulson was just
a shot out of fourth place, tying first-round leader Torie Ives
of Wis.-Eau Claire, who shot 72-83-80-79—314, and Kali
Griggs of Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), who shot 77-80-78-79—314.
“Sarah
had a tough finish,” coach Jodee Schaben
said. “She hits the ball high and she was having a tough
time figuring out the wind. She just didn’t hit the greens.
“But
she had a good tournament. She finished tied for sixth in the
nation as a freshman, so you can’t feel too bad about
that.”
Schaben was impressed with Paulson’s poise as a young
player on the national tournament stage, even when things didn’t
go well.
“She
was very relaxed and seemed confident and comfortable,”
Schaben said. “She didn’t give up, she fought for
every shot. I was proud of the way she handled herself.”
THREE
NAMED ALL-REGION
In
addition to being receiving All-America honors, Paulson, along
with two other Iowa Conference women's golfers were named to
the All-Midwest Region Team by the NGCA. Wartburg golfers Kate
Thompson (Sr., Webster City, Iowa/Webster City) and
Steph Burns (Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls)
join Paulson on the all-region team.
Thompson,
a two-time all-region selection, and Burns, earning her first
all-region award, were part of head coach Monica Severson’s
squad that won the program’s fourth Iowa Conference title
in five years, advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships
for the same scenario and wound up placing 16th at the national
meet. The duo, each of whom ended in the top four at last fall’s
conference tournament, both finished in the top 70 at the event
with Burns ending in a tie for 36th and Thompson placing 68th.
Wartburg’s
two all-region selections continue a streak of having at least
one Knights golfer be honored over each of the past five seasons.
Complete
list of NGCA Division III award winners
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