Golfers Named All American Scholars
The National Golf Coaches Association released its annual list of All-American Scholars for the 2008-09 season on Wednesday. The group includes UALR’s Sara Wikstrom, Mallory Fraiche, and Daniela Vial.
A senior from Jonkoping, Sweden, Wikstrom is a four-time honoree by the NGCA as well as a four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection. She competed in three-consecutive NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship Regionals and recorded seven victories and 23 top-5 finishes in her UALR career. Wikstrom led the Trojans and ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference this past season with a 74.06 scoring average, and ended the year ranked 41st in the country in the final Golfstat Cup Standings.
This is the second All-American Scholar honor for Fraiche, who took home medalist honors at the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Championships. A native of Metairie, La., Fraiche will compete in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held July 9-12 at Saucon Valley CC in Bethlehem, Pa. Fraiche ranked second on the team last season with a 76.00 scoring average and recorded five top-10 finishes.
A native of Santiago, Chile, Vial is a first-time honoree by the NGCA. She recorded two top-25 finishes as a junior in 2008-09, and has qualified for the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List each of her two seasons at UALR.
To be included on the NGCA All-American Scholar Team, a student-athlete must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 and compete in at least 50 percent of a school’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.
Founded in 1983, the NGCA is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The NGCA represents nearly 500 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.